


Sweeteners

by laenavesse



Series: EusBea Seasonal Collection [2]
Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Birthday, Cake is way too sweet, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Humor, New Year's Eve, Not Dates, SO MUCH FLUFF, drunk bea is a clingy bea, festival games, honorary society group appearance, i still suck at tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 36,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22829395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laenavesse/pseuds/laenavesse
Summary: A collection of three short "prequels" to Bittersweet Tastes, but can be read without reading the main story. It's really mostly fluff pieces that help set up the development. The first is set during Christmas where the two walk around a Christmas town, do a little shopping and exchange gifts with each other, and have a little fun. The second is on Eustace's birthday where Beatrix tries to improve his mood by preparing a meal along with a birthday cake--it goes as expected (with sugary sweet failures). The third is set the following night for New Year's Eve, filled with healthy festival game competition and Beatrix ending up a little too drunk.Chapter 1: Warming Hearts (Christmas)Chapter 2: Sugar Frosting (Eustace's Birthday)Chapter 3: Sparks (New Year's Eve)
Relationships: Beatrix/Eustace (Granblue Fantasy)
Series: EusBea Seasonal Collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1633444
Comments: 19
Kudos: 4





	1. Warming Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first "prequel" of the series, _Warming Hearts_ is set during Christmas. Eustace is dragged around to help Beatrix with her shopping but he winds up watching and observing her instead, there is "exchange" of gifts, and many cute things as I accidentally shoved a lot of "not date" things in here, whoops. Introspection heavy!

* * *

As Eustace stepped off the ramp disembarking the Grandcypher, he only idly observed everyone else making their way into the snow covered town. It was nearing Christmas, and since it was a good opportunity, they made a stop on an island known for its holiday festival celebrations. Being one of the few last to leave, Eustace stared at the bright, colorful lights awaiting him before taking a moment to close his eyes, face tilted upwards as the soft, fragile snowflakes fell from the night sky onto his face. They were cool to the touch, a small tickle as each one warmed and melted into his dark skin.

But each one carried a small reminder of days long past.

Days he would never forget but could never return to.

From a distance he heard a voice calling him, and he opened his eyes to spot Lyria and the others waving at him. Unlike him who did not change his attire, she and everyone else was bundled up to bear with the cold. The sight of that oversized coat and scarf smothering her cracked a small smile, and he just lifted a hand in acknowledgment before he continued forward, following but not quite joining. He planned to eventually, but this time of year always made him more melancholic as those distant memories flickered through the back of his mind, the bittersweet feelings causing him to become more reserved and wanting to keep to his solitude for a little longer.

Yet despite those somber, wistful thoughts hovering in the back of his mind, watching both visitors and locals enjoying the snow and spirit of the season softness to his eyes, and he allowed himself to relax a little more while still remaining vigilant. It was a shame he could never fully let his guard down, too aware that places like these are prime targets for threats and dangers. Every year he would hope that nothing would come to pass, and every year he would hear of one or more places suffering some kind of disruption that would need to be dealt with. Fortunately things had been calmer, and there was reassurance that the fearless young captain and his capable crew was around should things turn for the worst. So he tried his best to push such negative thoughts and concerns aside, to turn off that need to be prepared for the worst.

By the time he realized it, everyone had separated to do their own things, leaving him standing in the middle of a busy street with the small crowds of people bustling past beneath the bright lights and colorful decorations. This did not bother him much as he tended to drift off on his own regardless. Determining that nothing was amiss, he cast an idle glance around before making his way through the stalls, eyes giving everything a cursory once over in mild curiosity. Sometimes he would stop and pick up an item, admiring its craftsmanship before setting it back down. On occasion he would catch the scent of something sweet baking, or meats and vegetables roasting over a grill and consider purchasing. And the sounds—with his acute hearing, he could hear every laugh, every shout of joy and cheerful song.

The corner of his lip lifted, a soft warmth in his gaze as he took it all in.

But his attention was distracted when his ears flicked towards the sound of oncoming small running feet. He stepped to the side, allowing the children to run past, and with their laughter came the after image of other children chasing after them. Unlike the mixed group of children that just passed, this image was of only young erunes, each one holding a small reed covered in holly and streamers, waving them in delight and trying to tag each other. The memory hit him so hard he stood rooted at the spot as he stared after the small, disappearing backs before he was able to shake out of it. Fingertips pressing against his brow, he continued his meandering stroll. He was used to this, having experienced it every year without much issue. Rather than say he had grown numb to it, it was more that he had long accepted it and normally not so affected.

More of such occurrences would continue, but he was more prepared and let the memories play out. The smell of food now conjured reminders of large turkeys and pheasants roasted to serve for communal feasts. The toys and trinkets laid out in full display were similar to those handmade by the hard working artisans of the past. The occasional singing and music that flitted out through half open windows carried the sweet voices now silenced, never to be heard again. And then, the snow. The pure white snow that continued to gently fall around him, each innocent snowflake that settled in his hair or brushed against his face a soft winter’s kiss. That alone momentarily transformed the small town to the quiet, peaceful place he once called home. A small wistful smile formed before it faded back with reality, the din of the crowds filling the quiet stillness that had briefly taken hold.

Closing he eyes, he basked in the warmth, light, and joy around him, the noise strangely pleasant to his ears. Like this the lone erune continued through the streets, his thoughts every now and then preoccupied by the past.

“Hm…this one? Or…maybe this one? Ugh, why is shopping for others so hard!”

The familiar female voice caught his ear, and Eustace looked up in its direction. Down a small alleyway, more merchants had set up a few stalls to sell their wares. There he spotted a young woman leaning over a table, picking up one trinket after the other while muttering her thoughts. Although she had dressed down for the outing and was not wearing her usual armor, she had been assigned to a warmer climate prior to joining up with the Grandcypher crew, so she was not prepared for the colder village. He remembered how she laughed it off when concerns were brought, saying she would be able to stay warm with her own vigor and spirit. Katalina lent her a spare jacket, but even from this distance he could see how she was holding it close, her exposed thighs pale and shoulders quivering every now and then. Although some might infer her occasional stamping feet as that of impatience, he could only read it as an involuntary way to produce heat to stave off the cold.

A small frown formed at the sight, but he turned his head away, intending to continue on his way. It was what she had decided, and he knew she would complain if he tried to intervene. But after taking one glance back, he noticed she must have found something. There was a bright look of delight and satisfaction as she happily held it out to the seller to pay. He could not tell what it was, but rather than the item, it was her expression that held his attention. Without realizing it he started to walk towards her as if drawn, and now stood behind her. She was completely unaware of his presence, even oblivious to the curious glance the merchant cast him, and somehow that annoyed him. Was her guard that far down? After waiting another moment and watching her happily tuck the item in her bag with a hum, he finally spoke out.

“Beatrix.”

“ _Gyeah!?_ ”

That soft hum turned into a surprised shriek as she spun around, almost losing her footing on the slippery cobblestones. Floundering for a moment, she stared up at the erune who only watched her with his usual cool gaze, his brow arched. Finally recognizing who it was, her hands clenched into fists as she glared at him.

“Eustace! Dammit, you really need to stop sneaking up on me like that!”

“…You should be more aware of your surroundings.”

“Ugh, you’re always like this,” she scowled before crossing her arms. At first it seemed like it was in anger, but he could see that slight shiver and her face was still flushed.

_She must be cold_ , he thought.

“So?” she asked with a slight wariness in her gaze. “What do you want?”

Although his expression did not change, Eustace stood there dumbly for a moment. Why _did_ he come over to her? He noticed her, but he had planned on walking past without saying anything. Uncertain as to how to answer, an awkward silence settled between them and he could see the confusion flickering in her bright, green eyes as it stretched on. He considered leaving after passing some offhand greetings, but he once again took note of how her hands gripped her arms and the occasional shiver. She had to be ignoring it, and knowing her, it was likely deliberate.

If he did not have a reason before, he did now.

Without a word, he unfastened his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, the well-worn leather falling heavily around her shoulders and quickly enveloping her smaller frame. By the time she registered his actions, he had fastened it together just above her chest. It naturally opened up in the front, but after a little adjusting the leather fell more forward and she could close it further if desired. First, however, she had to register what was happening as he continued to adjust the straps so that it better fit her figure.

“…Huh? Wait—”

“It’s fine. It would be worse if you caught a cold.”

“Well then what about you!?”

Because Eustace did not bother changing out of his usual clothes, he was wearing the now common erune style where his sides and back were exposed to the elements. Moreover, his cloak was more like a jacket since it had the sleeves, which meant his arms were completely bare. Honestly Beatrix could never figure out how his clothes even _worked_ , though it helped he had removed the shoulder guard before disembarking, one of the few “armor” pieces he decided to leave behind on the airship. What all the meant was the erune looked far less dressed than she had been, but he just shrugged it off.

“I’m used to it.”

Beatrix stared at him in disbelief, and clearly wanted to retort, but he knew she had witnessed firsthand how he was able to handle the colder elements without any issue. So she just sighed as she inadvertently grasped the inner lining of the cloak, fingering it as if uncertain as to what to do as she grumbled aloud.

“Ugh, of course. With that cold attitude of yours, you would be impervious to it, too.”

Having heard such words from her often before, he paid no mind to it and instead continued to study her. Her cheeks were still a bit flushed, and a thought that she might need to move to a warmer place crossed his mind. Before he could make the suggestion, however, she drew the cloak closer to her, a small smile flicking across her lips before she averted her gaze.

“But…thanks.”

Catching that little smile and hearing the shyness in her voice, Eustace stared at her in wonder for a moment. It was strange seeing her like this, and an odd, ticklish feeling brushed through his chest before it disappeared as he gave his usual quiet reply.

“…Mm.”

The tips of her ears reddened before she cleared her throat and quickly turned around. “Th-then let’s get going! Even you will turn into a frozen statue if we just keep standing here!” Without looking back she broke into a fast trot, running ahead.

As he watched her retreating her back, he could see her pushing her arms through the way-too-long sleeves. She actually let out a small sound of surprise when her hand finally pulled through the opening, and he caught the muttered complaint at how long his arms were before attempting to roll up the sleeves. But only enough for just the tips of her fingers to peek out so that she could easily withdraw her hands within the warmth of the fabric. Bringing her hands to her face, she held them closer before there were small puffs of warm breath as she blew on them, a small smile just barely visible.

Seeing this, another strange feeling descended upon him, similar to the first. It was oddly warm, almost fuzzy. He knew he was just watching her, yet it was strangely difficult to look away. Was it because he was already feeling off since earlier? Or was it because he had never really seen her make such expressions towards him before? Had he really ever paid enough attention to notice them at all? He frowned a little in thought, starting to notice an odd chill as the warmth that had formed in that small space between them earlier faded. But it was all disrupted when she suddenly turned around a few paces ahead and waved her hand, calling out to him.

“Hey, c’mon! Don’t tell me you really froze back there!”

The festival lights shining behind her, she suddenly looked brighter than usual, the light in her eyes seeming to sparkle before she threw him a smile. It was as if she was taunting him, ready to make another joke about his cold, stiff attitude. Without noticing, the corner of his mouth lifted _just_ a fraction, as if her words thawed the lingering frost that clung to him, and he slowly walked to her. Only once he was beside her again did the warmth return.

Together they passed several stalls, Beatrix the one keeping the silence at bay as she pointed out various things that caught her eye and occasionally asking his opinion on whether something would be good for a present for someone or other. Although he did not pay particular attention to what she was looking at, he would give his usual short, indifferent answers, only speaking out if she tried to choose something utterly ridiculous.

“Forget it.”

“But I think it would really fit him!”

“No.”

“Oh come on, don’t you think it would be funny if he wore a reindeer mask?”

“Beatrix.”

“Vaseraga already has the horns, just stick on a few sticks or cones and they would be the perfect antlers!”

A cold, silent glare.

“Ugh, jeez! Can’t you loosen up even a little bit!? Okay, what about this bunny mask for Ilsa? It comes with a princess crown, so it would be really cute—no wait, this demon one would definitely suit her better.”

“…Do you want to die?”

“……”

She slowly put the mask down and moved on.

Yet despite their bickering, it was during these times that Eustace noticed Beatrix was at her liveliest. Although he would be dragged along and she tried to engage him in various ways, she also did not try to force a conversation between them. There were times when she asked him a question or say something that could have led to one, but even after his usual short, sometimes noncommittal answers, she would just say, “I see,” or “Okay,” and leave it at that before carrying on with something else. Either she gave up long ago in trying to get anything meaningful out of him, or she really did not mind basically speaking for the both of them.

Briefly he wondered if she was just satisfied that she had company, even if it was him instead of someone more suitable, and he surprised himself when he realized he was not bothered by this. In fact, he did not mind listening to her voice, either. Even when she was being a little obnoxious and he had to tell her to quiet down, in the end he did not really hate it. Perhaps he had already gotten used to it from their previous partnerships and general associations. So whenever she did grow silent, he found the silence strange and glanced over at her, wondering what could have distracted her or if something was on her mind. It was during these times he found himself observing more of her expressions, watching how her eyes would focus or light up depending on what she was looking at. But always, _always_ there was a bright light twinkling in them, a smile always on her face. Sometimes that smile was soft, her lips drawing a small, quiet line of awe. More often it was wide in delight, a laugh or some exclamation escaping it before she ran forward a few steps to take that closer look.

It captured him—and he had no idea he had been caught, just as she had no idea she was pulling him along.

“…Are you really here to shop or just play around?” Eustace asked after they passed yet another block of stores and he watched Beatrix peer into the window before hopping towards the next. Although a known place for holiday tourism, the town was still small, and they had already passed several places they had been to before.

“I’m not playing around,” she scowled at him when she returned to his side. “I’ve been seriously looking, you know, and I’ve bought a few things already.” But when he just stared at her in skepticism, her cheeks reddened, and she looked away as if embarrassed. “…All right, fine, just one.”

Eustace let out a small breath as he rubbed his brow before he remembered how he found her. “Was it what you purchased earlier?”

“Wha—you saw that!?” Her voice suddenly rose, staring at him as if afraid she had been caught before she quickly looked back forward. “It’s um…did you actually see what it was?”

Unable to comprehend her reaction, he looked over at her with a slight frown. “No, I didn’t really pay attention to it.” Recalling that his attention was focused elsewhere, a strange discomforting feeling fell over him and he inadvertently glanced away.

She did not seem to notice, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she let out a small breath. Then she walked a few steps, the silence between them somewhat awkward and almost anxious, before she quickly rushed forward to turn around and face him. “Well—then, here.”

Reaching through the cloak to the bag strapped over her shoulder, Beatrix pulled out a small packet and held it out to him. Brows wrinkling in confusion, Eustace slowly extended a hand to take it.

“It’s a bit early but might as well since never know if we’ll suddenly get called off on a mission,” she said, her voice faltering a fraction and strangely off, her eyes not quite meeting his and more focused on the item. Seeing her nervous, he could not help but continue to look at her with some wonder. She flushed when she noticed him staring and pushed the hand holding the packet closer to him. “Don’t just stand there, open it already!”

Still puzzling over her behavior, his eyes flicked down to the packet in his hand. There was nothing special to it, which was to be expected since she just bought it. If this really was a gift for him, he presumed she would have wanted to wrap it into something more fitting for the holiday. Briefly he wondered if it was really okay for him to open it like this, but seeing her waiting with a strange mix of fire and anxiousness in her eyes, he complied to her wishes. Slipping his finger under the flap, he easily tore through the thin material and was surprised when he pulled out a… …

“See? It totally suits you.”

He just stared dumbly at the item in his hand.

“…What is it?”

“It’s a keychain, dummy, but it’s also like a charm,” she said with some exasperation before she stepped closer to him to explain the trinket. It was a metal charm in the shape of a running dog with some wolfish features to it, three colored beads dangling from the bottom like a small chain: gold, white, and light blue. “They said it’s good for luck and protection.”

Turning it slowly in his hand, he eyed her a little. “You know that’s all fake, right?”

“ _Argh_ , can’t you just pretend and go along with it for once!? It was hard finding you something, you know!”

In the span of a minute, he watched her expression change from nervous anticipation to excitement to exasperation. Yet throughout it all, that light in her eye and the traces of a smile never left her. Slowly he returned his attention to the keychain, holding it up a little higher into the light so that he could take a better look. Overall the charm’s craftsmanship was simple with no extra embellishments, but there were some carvings into the dog’s body, particularly on the head to give it a face, and some etchings to give it a little more defined features like around the tail and legs. The metal was difficult to identify, but it was not cheap as it was thick and would not bend easily. The beads themselves were common but clear enough to allow some of the light to filter through to give it a little extra color. It was by no means an expensive gift, but he honestly preferred it that way. It was simple, and…it gave an oddly warm, sweet feeling. Was it because it was an item that resembled a dog, one of the few things he loved most? Was it because it was a gift, one that she apparently actually tried to find? Or…was it because of who gave it to him?

He stole a quick glance at the young woman standing near him and his expression softened, a small smile forming as he murmured quietly, “Thanks.”

When she looked up at him, Beatrix stared for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise before she quickly turned away, her face slightly flushed. “Ah…um…it’s a bit last minute and nothing special, but, er, you’re welcome…”

Even though she hid her face behind his cloak, he could tell there was a bright smile beneath it. Unknowingly his own smile widened a little more at her flustered state, that bit of warmth spreading further into his chest.

After pocketing the keychain, they resumed Beatrix’s hunt for gifts. This time Eustace tried to offer some suggestions, pointing out things he thought might work for the people he knew. With his help, she finally managed to make some headway into her list, and as the number of items grew, he took the bags and carried them over his shoulder for her.

“You really don’t have to!”

“It’s fine.”

“At least give me half!!”

“I said, it’s fine.”

“Why are you suddenly acting so cool now…”

After making a small noise of frustration, she muttered those words under her breath, but Eustace still heard them, his brow arching slightly as he glanced at her. Him acting cool? He had simply noticed how she kept struggling to juggle some of the larger items, particularly those that were boxed up, and it was awkward watching her lugging it all around. So he just did what he felt like doing and took them, even reorganizing them a bit to make it easier to carry. It might be a little cumbersome, but he could handle it.

Besides, he thought it was better watching her move unrestrained instead of bogged down by unnecessary weights.

Eventually Beatrix stopped at one of the tables selling various accessories. It was one he recognized as she had passed by it several times now. She would stop briefly each time, her eyes lighting up a little as she looked over the items and even focused on a few before moving away. The merchant had also noticed her repeat visits and tried to coax her into trying something, but Beatrix would just quickly shake her head with a nervous laugh before escaping. It was somewhat impressive how patient the merchant was, as if knowing the younger woman would eventually cave. Eustace’s patience, however, had run out.

Beatrix was lingering there longer than usual, as if seriously contemplating this time. Silently he stepped up beside her and looked at the assortment of hair ribbons she seemed to be focusing on. Was this what had caught her interest? Briefly he glanced at the one already tying back her hair before speaking out.

“Do you want it?”

“…Huh!?” She jumped in surprise, again not noticing his approach due to how focused she had been. It was clear she wanted to tell him off, so he continued unperturbed.

“You’ve been staring at them for a while.”

Flustered, she looked back towards the hair ribbons displayed on the table. There were many different colors and designs, and it was clear from her eyes that at least one or two had stood out to her. Picking at the inside of his cloak’s sleeves, she tried to answer. “Wha—w-well, kind of? I was just thinking I wanted something different—"

“Pick one.”

“Pi—what!?” She turned to him to tell him he was requesting the impossible, but he was looking at her with such an intent gaze that she flushed. “…Okay, you don’t have to glare at me like that! Um… Er…” She tried to choose one from the batch, her hand hovering over the ones that had caught her eye, but she let out a small cry of frustration. “This is hard to do on the spot with you staring at me like this!”

An amused smile flickered across his lips as Eustace watched her. He really was not glaring at her, or at least he was not trying to, but he did think she was taking longer than needed and wanted to push her to move. So after watching her for a moment longer, he turned his attention to the selection before them. Of the ones she seemed to be debating over, one in particular caught his eye—it was a pale, golden yellow with light silver blue lace tails. Her fingers had brushed against it a few times before quickly retracting to go to another, but he had seen how she pursed her lips and how her eyes had been drawn to it. Since it also stood out to him the most, he reached out. Picking it up, its full length was revealed, shimmering under the light.

“Here, this one.”

“E-Eh…??” Beatrix stared at the ribbon in his hand as he held it up to her hair, as if confirming his choice.

With a satisfied nod, a soft smile formed.

“It suits you.”

The merchant watched them with a strange fondness in her eyes and was more than eager to take and wrap up the ribbon in a special bag with no extra charge. Beatrix had been ready to pay for it herself, but Eustace decided he would do it, handing out the money before she could and despite her stammered protests. This made the merchant’s smile even wider and she was quite cheerful when she bid them a happy Christmas and pleasant evening. All of this went unnoticed by the two. One was just plain oblivious, wondering if they should take a break, while the other was just meekly following after him, the small bag clutched tightly in her hands as she tried to hide her deeply flushed face.

“…Eustace.”

“Hm?”

Hearing her footsteps halt behind him, he stopped and turned to look at Beatrix. Her face was down, his cloak pulled even closer to her. He had to wonder if she was still cold and that was why she kept holding it so close.

“Is… Is this a Christmas present?”

Eustace stared at her blankly for a moment before he slowly answered, “Wasn’t yours?”

Her hands mostly hidden within his sleeves, he could still see her clutching his cloak together even tighter, the sound of her breath quickening for just a moment. “Mm…yeah…”

“…Then there’s your answer.”

He felt oddly strange answering her this. Exchanging gifts for the holiday was something he rarely did, and he was having a difficult time thinking when the last time was. That was not to say he did not celebrate the holiday with others, but even that was more of a newer thing after meeting Gran and the rest of the crew. Before he was usually busy with missions or just preferred to be on his own to use the time to reminisce of his past. Thinking back on her gift to him, was that why he felt that strange warmth? Was that the reason why he felt it again now? But it was not as if he had never received gifts before, so this should really feel no different. In fact he should not be feeling much at all aside from genuine gratitude and appreciation for the thought. So why did he feel this strange tickle in his chest as he watched her stand there? As if seeking an answer, his eyes drew to her reddened, flushed cheeks that spread to her ears, the way her bright green eyes rounded in apparent surprise and…joy?

All this time he had assumed it was from the cold. But…was she actually feeling embarrassed by this? It really was strange to see her acting shy—or more accurately, how she would appear flustered in one moment and then try desperately to hide it as if to deny whatever had suddenly sparked within her—and he wondered if it was because of him. The thought sent another odd ripple he could not explain, but it was broken when she suddenly looked up with strange but clear determination.

“Then I’ll go ahead and wear it,” she declared as she carefully opened the bag and reached up to untie the one in her hair.

“Wait—right now?” He stared at her confused. “You don’t have to—”

“But you have to clip the keychain on your belt,” she interrupted him as her hair fell free.

Watching her long hair spill out, Eustace found himself staring at it in strange fascination, as if mesmerized. Come to think of it, he had never seen her hair fully down before. So distracted by the sight, he completely missed the condition she had imposed on him. When her fingers fumbled to gather her hair while trying to hold onto everything else, without thinking he stepped up behind her, set down the other bags, pulled off his gloves, and took the hair ribbon from her hands.

“Here, I’ll do it.”

“Fueh—!?” A strange sound escaped her as she tried to turn around, feeling his long, slender fingers already threading her hair.

Because he was taller than her, he had to lean down a little to better see what he was doing. This meant that when she turned to face him, his face was a little closer to hers. They stared at each other for a moment before Eustace finally spoke in a low voice.

“…Turn around and stay still.”

His voice had its usual calm, direct steadiness, but it hid the brief moment of surprise he felt when she had suddenly turned. When she wordlessly turned her head around, he released a breath he did not realize he was holding and turned his attention to the back of her hair. It was then that he realized how soft her hair was in his hands, and he found himself resisting a strange, sudden urge to run his fingers through it.

Troubled by these sudden thoughts and impulses, he focused on the task at hand and quickly gathered her hair. Admittedly, he had little experience in doing this, but as he started to pull the ribbon over, a distant memory surfaced in his mind. A memory of small hands playing with long, soft white hair; small hands that later grew to hold a brush and help tie back a now older female erune’s hair back, her eyes soft yet bright in joyous gratitude at the assistance.

His hands faltered, and it was not until he noticed Beatrix start to move and speak out did he break out of his thoughts.

“…Eustace? If you can’t do it, it’s fine.”

“…No, I got it. Sorry.” After murmuring his apology, he quickly tied the ribbon in place before stepping back. It might not have been the best job, but it looked satisfactory to him.

Sensing he was done, Beatrix glanced back at him before stepping over to a nearby window. Although it was faint, she was able to see her reflection and turned her head this way and that. Starting to think she disliked it, he frowned a little with some uncertainty.

“If you don’t like it—”

“It looks great!”

Her sudden declaration and beaming smile as she turned to him left Eustace feeling a little stunned. So much so that he barely registered she had trotted back over to him, her eyes shining brightly as she stopped just in front of him.

“Sure it could be better, but I guess I finally found something you’re not good at, huh?” she laughed. “Now it’s your turn.”

“My turn?”

She rolled her eyes. “Did you forget? Now you have to wear the keychain on your belt!”

Blinking, he started to vaguely recall she had mentioned something he had to do. Deciding it was a harmless and fair request, he wordlessly reached into the pocket he had stuffed it in and pulled it out. Although she said “belt,” it would not really fit very well given his gun holster, so it took him a moment to decide where to put it so as not to be in the way. In the end, he clipped it to one of the rings on his side pack. He looked at her, as if asking her approval, and somehow the smile she wore was brighter than before.

It was dazzling.

* * *

Reaching the center of the village, they took a break by the small fountain at the center. Because of the season it was shut down, but it had been decorated with lights and filled with giant swathes of cotton to mimic the snow, large, empty boxes wrapped like gifts, festive decorations, and toys for public use. Many kids played around the area, but left the two alone—or rather, Eustace’s imposing figure as he stood in front of the sitting Beatrix was enough to keep them at bay.

“Uuuggh,” she groaned as she stretched, the bags set by her feet. “I love shopping, but this was harder than usual.”

“…It’s because you were overthinking it,” he said as he leaned his weight on one leg, arms crossing over his chest as he rolled his neck. Even if carrying the bags was not that strenuous, even he felt the effects of the weight and needed to stretch a bit. “And sometimes not enough. You get distracted by other things and forget your purpose.”

“Who asked for your opinion!?” she shouted before her face turned crimson when a strange loud sound came from her stomach.

“………”

“………”

“…I’ll go buy something, what do you want?” Eustace said, gracing her with at least that much tact.

“…Whatever is fine,” Beatrix answered, her gaze averted from his. “But maybe something warm?”

“All right.” With a small nod he glanced around before making his way towards one of the many food stalls nearby. From the corner of his eye, he caught Beatrix acting strangely, covering her face with her hands and kicking her feet against the side of the fountain while muttering some weird nonsense. He pretended to not notice and focused his attention on the task at hand.

By the time he made his way back, Beatrix was idly playing with her hair, coiling the long strands around her fingertips as her legs swung back and forth. His pace slowed until he unknowingly stopped as he observed her. It was a strange sight to him, especially with his cloak wrapped around her. It was so large and baggy on her, it was more like a blanket. But she did not seem to mind how awkward she appeared, a small smile escaping her lips as she sunk into the warm leather and occasionally reaching up to touch the tails of her new hair ribbon.

It was strange.

Really strange.

Yet it was also somehow…

_…Cute._

The thought was like a bolt from the blue, and a troubled frown formed as he tried to grasp what just happened. Did he really just think that? Usually when he thought something was “cute” it would be towards things that anyone would agree with, like puppies, children, small toys, or even Lyria’s silly antics. Associating that term to _Beatrix_ was just baffling to him, and he could only guess that it must be because she seemed rather childlike right now with how clearly happy and giddy she was. Once he determined that, he thought a little more about her behavior and decided that it was a good thing that she could be this spirited. It meant that she was relaxed and enjoying herself, something that everyone should feel during this time. And if he helped contribute to that…then that was fine.

A faint smile unknowingly formed as he thought this.

His mind now settled, Eustace resumed his approach, his footsteps loud enough for her to notice and look up to him. By then she had started to look around a little more anxiously, so there was a small look of relief when he walked up.

“Finally, you’re back! I was starting to think you might have ditched me to go somewhere else,” she laughed, if a little awkwardly.

Shooting her a look as if asking what she really thought of him, he answered, “There were lines, so the wait was longer than expected. Here.”

He held out a paper cup filled with steaming hot chocolate before he sat down next to her, setting the box of various pastries between them and removing his gloves. Seeing her look at them with some amazement, he glanced away a little awkwardly.

“…They’re based off your preferences, so they should be fine.”

As Beatrix started to pick up a flakey raspberry filled tart covered in soft, white powdered sugar, she almost dropped it upon hearing his words. “H-Huh!?”

“…What?” He did not know why, but her reaction made him feel strange, almost annoyed, and he frowned, his gaze frosting over.

“No, um—” Sensing his darkening mood, she hastily tried to recover. “I was just surprised, that’s all. I didn’t think you’d pay attention to something like that.”

“…Did you forget how many times you’ve made me order a dessert for you whenever we ate together?”

“I didn’t ask that many times! And hey, you’re making it sound like I was using you for meals!”

“You were.”

“When!?”

“Every time you left your wallet.”

“…Huk…!”

Recalling the many times she left her wallet or even lost it, she could not find the words to rebuke him. Nor could she hold her flustered gaze against his cool one, so she angrily grabbed the tart and bit into it. He heard her swear under her breath, cursing how good it was and that he actually got it right. As he grabbed a warm cinnamon bun while sipping on his own cup of hot chocolate, the corner of his mouth lifted a bit before he looked back forward.

“You still owe me.”

“Do you really have to bring it up now!? Ugh, and after getting you a gift and everything… Well, whatever, don’t feel too all high and mighty because I don’t see any with my favorite chocolate filling in them.”

“They were out.”

Quietly he chewed on his bun, ignoring the wide-eyed look she was throwing at him.

“—Eh?”

“I asked for those first, but they were already out.”

“…Ah…eh? You asked…meaning…eh??”

“…If you don’t stop speaking nonsense, I’m going to eat all of these.”

“Why are you always like this!?”

With a frustrated cry, she kicked him in the leg before snatching another pastry, turning her back to him so that he could not see her. He grimaced at the kick, reminded how hard those heels could really be, and only glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He saw the red tint of her ears and picked up her words of constant complaints while also expressing her delight in the sweet desserts. It was a strange alternation between complaining about him and enjoying the pastries, so he eventually tuned it out, his attention drifting to the area around them.

Other people had gathered around the fountain to do the same, sharing small meals while conversing with one another. He even noticed a few people from the Grandcypher walking past, but none seemed to pay much attention to them. Only briefly he wondered why he had yet to see their own members, but then he considered if he had been a little less aware while dealing with Beatrix. It was somewhat unsettling, but also a little curious, and he thought back on their route. As he recalled certain moments, Eustace noticed a feeling of contentment starting to nestle within him, a peaceful, calm feeling he had been missing from before.

He mused a little on this, not looking when he reached for another bun. Feeling her hand brush against his, he instinctively glanced over, but was surprised to see how quickly she withdrew her hand. Thinking her behavior strange for only a moment before dismissing it, he just sighed and picked out a soft cake he had chosen for her.

“You were reaching for this, right? Here.”

“Ah…mm…thanks,” she mumbled as she picked it up by the wrapper, careful to avoid his fingers. “…You really did pick out most of my favorites, huh? I don’t really see many for yourself…”

“I assumed you would want to eat more, so you have a larger portion.”

“— _You really are…!!_ ”

She kicked him again in the exact same spot and harder than before, and he actually bent over from the sudden flash of pain. He shot her a glare, but she already had her back to him. It was her stomach that growled earlier, was he wrong to assume she was hungrier than him!?

It would be a long time before he learned the error of his words.

“…Beatrix.”

“Hmph.”

“Look at me.”

“Why should I, you jerk.”

“You have cream on your mouth.”

“I don’t care what you—wait, really? Why didn’t you tell me sooner!?”

After a period of stony silence between them, Eustace had finished off his portion and as he predicted, Beatrix had eaten all of hers. She had just finished up, and for whatever reason she was even angrier than before. Knowing it was pointless for him to try and say anything, he just kept quiet as he handed her the napkins, but when he looked over at her face, he noticed she kept missing a spot.

“Here,” he pointed at himself.

“Here?” She missed.

“……”

His patience already worn from her being (in his mind) unreasonably mad at him, he reached over and wiped it off with his thumb. Not thinking anything of it, Eustace licked off the cream and wiped his hands, but when he looked back at Beatrix, she was sitting there with her face a deep crimson. Assuming she was about to yell at him again for doing something unreasonable, he just gathered the box and trash and stood up, walking away without looking back.

He heard what sounded like a strangled, frustrated scream and proceeded to ignore it.

Upon returning, his pace slowed when he saw Beatrix was standing on the edge of the fountain, her arms hidden behind her back as she stared down at him. Not even bothering to try and comprehend what she was doing—other than it must be something stupid—he stared up at her with narrowed eyes.

“Get down.”

“Come here first.”

“For what?”

“Just do it!”

His gaze darkened but seeing her stubbornness and not wanting her to actually slip and fall, Eustace sighed and walked over to her. His arms now crossed over his chest, he looked back up.

“And?”

“Hah!”

Without warning, she pulled out the “weapon” she had been hiding—one of the large fake gift boxes. She had removed the top and stuffed it with a glitter, scraps of the cotton snow, streamers, bits of garland, and other random small things. He only had a fraction of a second to register it before all of its contents spilled out over his head, covering him. It was all harmless, the glitter and confetti the things would be the most troublesome to get rid of, but he still stood there in stunned silence.

“This is payback for before!” she declared victoriously as she hopped a few spaces to the side, more than pleased with her work. “Ho ho, you actually look pretty good with all that glitter.”

There was a heavy silence before Eustace slowly lifted his gaze to catch hers. The glare was so dark and intense, seemingly worsened by how the shadows cast over his face, that she froze as if struck by fear.

“…H-Hey, it’s just a little prank! You don’t have to look so mad, I can help clean it off!”

The glare darkened.

“C-Calm down, this is even scarier than that time during Halloween…!”

He took a step towards her.

“W-Wait, I’m sorry, okay!!”

As she tried to sidestep again, he closed the distance and his foot slammed against the fountain’s wall with such force she almost stumbled. The way he was glaring up at her made her shrink even further.

“Eustace, come on! I was only trying to have a little fu— _waugh!!_ ”

Just as he was about to grab her and pull her down, she took another step to the side, but ended up slipping on some ice that had formed on the inside of the rim. With a shout she flailed to try and keep her balance, and immediately all of his earlier anger disappeared as he reached out, this time to help instead of retaliating. Unfortunately, because of her movements, his hand missed hers and only caught cold air as she fell backwards. Although her fall was cushioned by the boxes and other assorted goods within the fountain, as Beatrix continued to flail, Eustace got to witness the most incredible sight of her sinking further back into cotton and boxes.

“ _Gyaaa, it’s eating me!!_ ”

“…It’s not ali—”

“ _Shut up and help!!_ ”

By now she was half covered, her legs sticking out and kicking as her arms flailed about. Like a sand trap, the more she struggled, the further she sunk in, and now most of her legs had been swallowed by the fountain decorations. A small crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was about, but then moved along chuckling about “such wild youth” while the children ran away with playful screams, shouting about the “Wicked Fountain Monster that ate all the bad boys and girls!”

Hearing this, as amusing as it was, Eustace also felt a twinge of guilt. Although she was the one who started it all, he did have a hand in her falling into the fountain, and so he had a strangely complicated feeling. On the one hand, he felt vindicated for that “surprise” glitter shower. On the other hand, although he had planned on retaliating, this was not quite what he had in mind. It was fortunate that she was not hurt from the fall.

“Eustace!!!”

However, when she finally managed to push away from some of the boxes to look at him, even he could not help but find the entire thing laughable, especially with all the fake snow, garland, and other things now stuck on her. She looked worse than he did. So he had to cover his mouth and attempt to cough to hide the laugh that had started to bubble up his throat.

He was only somewhat successful.

“—!!! Are you _laughing!?_ Eustace, I swear—when I get out of here it’s going to be worse than glitter!!!”

He cleared his throat, but it was hard to restrain the small grin and light chuckle as he stood and watched her thrash about for a few more moments. It was only after she managed to lob a few stuffed toys at him that he finally moved. “All right. Just stay still. You’re only making it worse by moving around like that.”

It was ridiculous. Completely, utterly ridiculous. But it was also something only she would be able to land herself in, and he actually found it amusing.

Not wanting to risk getting caught in the mess, he bent one knee over the top of the wall and leaned over to work on her legs, clearing away the items closest to him. Once some space had been made, he considered his odds before swinging himself over and stepping into the cleared area, keeping within arm’s reach of the wall in case the bottom layer gave way. Now that he was closer, he could reach the higher boxes near her waist and chest, pulling them away.

“…How far did you sink…” he muttered under his breath.

“It’s really deep, okay!?”

“Can you move your arms?”

“Uh…” After slowly twisting her arms a bit, one broke free, the other soon after. “Yes, I can move again!” She struggled a bit, but then she stopped and looked over at him. “Hey, pull me up, it’s hard to push up from these things.”

Already thinking of her like an upside down turtle and thinking she was genuinely seeking help, he held out his hand to her. For a rare moment his guard was down, and Beatrix seized that chance. She grabbed his wrist and there was a wicked flash in her eyes followed by a fierce grin. Before Eustace could react, she yanked him down, forcing him to fall face first into the pit. As he laid there on his stomach stunned, he heard her sit up and shout victoriously.

“Hah! That’s for being a jerk and laughing earlier!” Boxes shifted as she carefully picked her way through and stood up, turning to face him. “Now _you_ can be the one to—"

“…You really don’t learn, do you?”

“…H-huh? W-wait, _hyaaaugh!!_ ”

While she was talking, Eustace had slowly adjusted himself, taking careful note of how his weight moved and the boxes shifted beneath him. Unlike Beatrix, he stayed aware of the situation and managed to find a firm foothold. Although he could not fully stand, it was enough to allow him to sit up into something like a crouch, and by the time she had noticed, he was glaring at her with a look like a wolf ready to lunge at its prey. Her screams echoed through the village as he grabbed and pulled her back into the pit, not caring as the boxes and toys fell back over her as he climbed out and left her to her fate.

As the night progressed and the fountain’s new legend spread, the children would warn of a wolf demon who would drag back anyone who dared try to escape and suffer even worse punishment.

“You…you are the _worst_!” Beatrix gasped after finally making her way out of the fountain pit.

The entire time Eustace just sat to the side, Flamek Thunder out on his lap as he idly checked the weapon. He wanted to be sure not too much snow and moisture had gotten to it, and he was wiping it down with a special cloth. So he paid little attention to what she did, only taking an occasional glance to make sure she was fine and not actually smothered. He really had little to worry, though—it was Beatrix, after all. Somehow the thrashing about worked in her favor this time as she ended up tossing and shoving the boxes and items away to clear enough room for her to move out. (Some were even aimed at his head, but he just either ducked or raised a hand to deflect it.)

After one final check, he stood up and holstered his weapon. “You’re the one who started this mess.”

“Yeah—well—!!” She flustered about before huffing. “You were still mean, and I was just trying to make you loosen up and have some fun!”

“Fun?” he arched a brow at her. He thought this was about some weird vengeance plot against him. What did “having fun” have to do with that?

Her cheeks were already flushed, but despite the color deepening under his gaze, she scowled and huffed as her hands gripped the edge of the wall.

“Yeah!” Now pulling herself over and finally on solid ground, she looked at him as if to yell more. But then she seemed to reconsider her words and glanced away, some of that angry heat dying down. “Look, I know I’m the one dragging you around, so I wasn’t really sure if you were having fun or not. I mean…” She hesitated, one foot lifting to tap the ground with the toe of her boot before she crossed her arms. “I wasn’t sure if you were just doing it because you felt you had to or…something else.” There was another slight flush to her cheeks, but she maintained her guarded stance.

Eustace’s brows furrowed as he watched her, processing her words. Was she really that worried about whether he was enjoying himself or not? But now that he thought about it…she did often tell him to loosen up while they were walking around. It was true that in the past he would have found her antics tiresome long before now, but that had become less so over time and tonight he did not feel any of that. If anything it was a little…refreshing? More importantly, he realized that ever since he had been with Beatrix, his mind did not linger to the past like it normally did during this time. She had offered him a complete distraction.

Was it because her constant antics? They were not behaving any different than usual, yet even he felt that something was not the same tonight, something that felt more than just him growing used to her. The mood then? It was a festive time meant for friends and families to forget about their worries and enjoy each other’s company. Even someone like Eustace could have their spirits lifted even a little with the right people. Was Beatrix one of them? Was the feeling he felt right now similar to when he was with Gran, Lyria, and Vyrn?

Slowly his lips parted before the words followed. “…No, it’s fine. I don’t mind it.”

Beatrix looked up at him unconvinced. “You always say that, and I know I pushed it with the prank just now. So if I’m really bothering you, just say it. I’ll leave you alone and go find Zeta—”

“You’re not bothering me.”

Both were surprised by how quickly he answered, especially himself. It was if her saying she would leave him prompted such an immediate response, but he managed to recover before she really noticed.

“…If it was a bother, I would have left already,” he said before he turned away, as if to make them move on. “But if you try that again, I really will leave.”

Because his back was turned to her, he could not see what kind of expression she wore. Thus he did not notice how she stared at his back with wide eyes before a soft smile spread across her face, how she clutched onto his cloak a little tighter before she quickly stepped after him. However, he _did_ hear an odd spring to her step before she slowed to settle alongside him, a soft hum just barely reaching his ears.

“Wait, wait, let’s go back. You still have all that glitter in your hair.”

“……” With a sigh he watched her turn around and hop back up onto the fountain wall. He arched a brow, his wariness clear, and she quickly waved her hands.

“I promise I won’t do anything, okay? This’ll be easier!”

“…I could just sit—”

“Come on, hurry up!”

He stared at her for several long seconds before he closed his eyes and made his way back to her. On the ground he was almost a whole foot taller than her, so her standing on the wall gave her almost a foot over him. There was a strange gleam in her eye as she reached out and brushed away at his hair.

“Heh, now you know how it feels to be shorter than someone so tall!”

“…Is it really that big of a deal?”

“You’re stupidly tall!”

“Vaseraga is taller, even more than this. I don’t feel any difference.”

“He’s a draph, that’s completely different!”

“Why is my height a problem?”

“It just is!”

“You make no sense…”

“Well, _sorry_!”

How did they even get into another argument? Or rather, how was it that he seemed to hit apparently sensitive topics around her? In the end he just sighed and closed her eyes, feeling her fingers brush through his hair. It was admittedly a little strange since no one had done this to him since childhood (Gran only ever pet his ears), but it was just as he had remembered. Calming, soothing, pleasant. It helped that despite her earlier complaints, she was being careful and not treating his hair too roughly and he slowly relaxed beneath her hands.

After a small stretch of silence, Beatrix slowly asked, “…I always wondered, but your hair really is soft. Do you use any special shampoo?”

“No.”

“So it’s natural? Wow, lucky…”

Having felt her hair earlier, her words surprised him a little and he glanced up at her. “Do you?”

“Yeah, I have to use some conditioner and keep it maintained or it turns into an oily mess, ugh.”

“…Hm. It felt nice.”

“H— _hueh_!?”

He winced when she accidentally pulled back on his hair, but she seemed to have noticed this and immediately apologized, her hands frozen in mid-air.

“Sorry, did that hurt? Don’t surprise me like that!”

“How was that surprising?”

“Coming from you, it is! Ugh, just—stay quiet! That’s what you like to do, anyway!!”

“……………”

He just stared up at her with narrowed eyes before he sighed. “I’ll fix your hair after this.”

She made another sound but managed to not pull away this time. “You don’t have to, I can probably manage.”

“It’s fine. I want to try and do it better this time.”

“…All right.”

They remained in silence, Beatrix giving off a more awkward aura compared to Eustace who remained calm, already moving on. She was now picking at the ends of his hair, checking to see she got most that she could. Drawing her hand back, he felt it brush against the tip of his ear and sensed her hand faltering.

“…Um, hey. Is it…can I…”

“What?”

He stared at her, indicating for her to ask what it was on her mind, but instead she flushed and pulled back.

“Nothing, nevermind! Not important!”

“…Did you want to—”

“I said it’s fine!” She hastily sat down and turned her back to him, her hands clenched into tight fists over her lap. “Now hurry up, it’s getting late.”

Eustace could only stare at her back, a small flicker of amusement in his eyes. He knew what she wanted to ask, and he would have given her permission. He even considering teasing her a little, but in the end he just sat down behind her and redid her hair. This time he could feel the heat radiating from the back of her neck, and he was a little slower in putting it back up.

“I’m not giving up,” Beatrix suddenly said as they walked back to the Grandcypher.

“…About what?” With the bags once more over his shoulder, he glanced down at the younger woman walking beside him, the distance between them strangely close now that there was nothing to distract her or make her run off.

“Making you loosen up and have fun.”

Hearing this, he sighed. “That’s unnecessary.”

“Just—one more game, okay? It can be like a rematch for what happened in the fountain.”

“So that’s your real aim.”

“It’s not!”

He stared at her.

“…Okay, maybe a little. But I really mean it—we don’t have many chances like this, and… Just go along with it, okay?”

“You’ve been bossing me around all night…”

“Eustace!!”

“…But fine.” His expression softened as he looked down her. “What do you want to do?”

A little surprised by the gaze, Beatrix glanced away before recovering with a grin. “Snowball fight. There’s no way you’ll beat me at that!”

Eustace just continued to look at her before facing forward, a light smirk forming at the corner of his lips.

“All right.”

The results of the snowball fight were predictable.

“HAH!” Beatrix yelled in victory after a snowball finally hit the back of his bare shoulder. Despite being covered in snow already, she pointed towards him with a smug expression on her face. “Bet you didn’t see that co—bleughah!?”

As she coughed through the snow now covering her face, Eustace only replied, “Never let your guard down, even after striking your enemy.”

Before she could even counter, he pitched another one at her, again hitting her in the face. She let out a frustrated scream before she started flinging random fistfuls of snow, even running at him to try and get a closer shot. Although she managed to get one or two more hits, it paled in comparison to the amount of snow he pelted her with. As usual, while Beatrix attacked with reckless abandon, Eustace moved with careful calculation and taking the opportunities she usually granted him. Because they were in a more open, secluded area near the port, he used the environment to his advantage, either ducking behind the nearby trees for cover or aiming above her head to the branches if she was standing under one laden with snow. Her swearing was the loudest when that happened. But even though he maintained his cool countenance, there were times when he cracked a smile or smirked whenever she yelled at him.

The game ended when Beatrix tried to lunge at him, but Eustace grabbed her by the waist. His intent was to stop her either by picking her up or throwing her to the ground, but he underestimated the momentum and the slippery ground, so they both ended in the snow instead. With her half lying on top of him, they stared at each other for several moments. Despite being breathless, her breath caught in her throat, as if paralyzed. He was feeling far less winded, his breathing more controlled, if a little deeper and longer, yet looking up at her made his pulse quicken for a brief moment. It was a strange feeling, and with her hair falling over her face, he had this strange wish to see it better. Slowly he reached up and brushed back the loose, long strands that mixed with her bangs, bits of snow falling from where it stuck to her. Her cheeks flushed a little more, that embarrassed shyness returning, but she did not pull away. Instead her own fingers reached up to the same, her touch trembling and cold as they brushed against his skin. Feeling it, his hand moved to take hers as if to warm it, and for the first time he noticed how small it was compared to his own. It was strange how he was now paying attention to her expressions and behavior, and how they were leaving different impressions on him.

They remained there in silence, the initial awkwardness starting to melt into something else as she started to slowly smile at him—another sight that made his heart strangely pound—when the sound of distant laughter broke through. Immediately Beatrix shot upright, pushing up off his chest with such speed and force that Eustace actually coughed and flinched a bit as he half rolled over onto his arm. Seeing this she panicked.

“Aah, I’m sorry! Are you hurt!?”

Reaching down as if to help him up, Eustace just shook his head. “…It’s fine.” Given the situation, he could not really blame her. Even he would have felt awkward and embarrassed if someone saw them like that. Of course, that begged the question what _that_ even was. Forcing that troubling question aside and ignoring the lingering feelings that clung to him, he glanced up at her as he pushed himself upright. “What about you?”

“Me? Oh, uh, I’m fine! It’s a good thing snow is soft, huh?” There was a nervous laugh as she sidestepped the fact that only her legs landed on the snow and what she really landed on was a lot harder—and warmer. But as she looked back to him and saw him brush the snow off his exposed skin, she started to fuss. “Forget about me, you’re the one that needs to be more careful! I know you always say you’re used to it, but even you could get hypothermia if you’re exposed like this!”

Eustace only shook his head. Although he did feel the sting of the cold, his core temperature was warm, and he did not feel bothered by it in the slightest. If anything, he felt a little warmer than before. Briefly he wondered if it was because of the close contact, but then considered the amount of exertion from before. “I grew up in a climate where it was naturally cold, and the winters could be worse than this. It wasn’t unusual for kids to run around without proper outerwear to play in the snow.”

Her eyes widened as he told her this little glimpse of his past, something she had never heard before. “Were you like that, too?”

A small smile formed as he recalled a few things of his childhood. “Sometimes.”

“…That is really hard to imagine.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah! You’re always scowling or off by yourself… I really wasn’t sure if you even knew how to have fun, but I guess you do have something buried deep inside there.” Smiling a little to herself, she softly added, “I’m glad.”

Hearing her words, he held a slight questioning look towards her, but she just quickly shook her head and started to take off his cloak.

“A-Anyway, I promised I’d meet up with Zeta and it’s getting late. You should go ahead and head back to the ship since it’s not that far. I don’t care what you say, it won’t be a joke if you’re the one who catches a cold!”

Shoving the article of clothing into his hands, she kept her face averted.

“And, um, do you mind if you drop my stuff off by my room? The door’s unlocked so you can… N-Nevermind! Just leave it by the door, it’s fine!!”

From her sudden flustered state, Eustace could only guess that her room was a mess and she did not want him to see it. Although he did not care about it, he could understand why she would not want him to. But with everything she bought, it would be safer if he slipped it inside, so without really saying one way or another, he just answered with, “All right.”

“Then um… I guess this is it. Have a good night! It was actually kind of fun, and…thank you.” Her last words were a faint mumble, but he could hear it clearly before she started to dash off.

Before he let her get too far ahead, watching moonlight catch the tails of her hair ribbon, a small smile lifted on his lips as he quietly called out just loud enough for her.

“Beatrix—it was fun. Thanks.”

He only waited long enough for her to stumble and turn around to stare at him in flustered shock before he gathered everything and made his way back to the airship, that smile widening just a little bit more. The pleasant, almost tingling warmth that spread from his chest did more than the cloak hanging off shoulder ever could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEEZE. This is the first official prequel to _Bittersweet Tastes_ , depicting the flashback scenes that had been referenced to in fuller detail. I honestly didn’t think about it when starting this, but words happened and I now realize that this was totally a date all along. IT WAS A DATE AND THEY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT. EVEN I DIDN’T KNOW IT!!!
> 
> Although this story isn’t necessary for the main story and could even be considered its own thing, I thought it would be nice to really flesh out how things started to develop between them. As usual there’s an expectation that there’s been at least some minor pre-development interactions prior to this to help build things up so it’s not just a SUDDEN random thing, but this would have been the big turning point that starts things rolling. Some parts had to be altered just a little to flow better, but I think it helped improved things. I may go back after writing everything to make proper adjustments in the main story.
> 
> This time I decided to try and tell this more from Eustace’s point of view since I thought it would be an interesting perspective to take, and he clearly needs more exploration in his development since it gets…complicated. Fortunately Beatrix could carry herself pretty well. She was pretty obvious, just not to Eustace ah ha ha (and how much was she already crushing then I don't even know—). I also thought it was a good opportunity to explore Eustace a little more, especially with references to his past (headcanons, obviously, but I tried to keep it in line with what could have been in canon and keep it vague and subtle enough so it’s not too weird). It did make me a little sad though, weep. I plan on doing something more with that, but not in this series………probably. 
> 
> By the way, I have no idea how the hell Eustace’s outfit really works. I’ve seen several takes that all seem plausible and I’m just like /throws a dart let’s use this version here. SLEEVES OR NO SLEEVES I DON’T KNOW, but sleeveless Eustace sounded more appealing for this scenario so ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
> Also, I am sorry this was basically a big dump of 11k words, and one that's more introspective and thus a bit slower paced ah ha. I tried to figure out how to break it into at least 2 parts, but I wasn’t really happy with any of the possible split points, so I just kept it as one giant mass. And as usual my after notes are rambly _I am sorry_ —
> 
> The second prequel installment will take place a not long after this with the third immediately after. Originally I planned on releasing them as their own separate work, but I think I’ll just stick them all as chapters, making this the “prequel” collection. The second one will probably be shorter (I say, but I thought this would be half of what it ended up being ahhahaha), and the third…we’ll see what happens lmfao. It’ll either be another lengthy one or I might cut right to the good stuff. Maybe. WE’LL SEE so stay tuned for updates!
> 
> Thank you for reading! And MASSIVE THANK YOUS for all the comments and kudos _Bittersweet Tastes_ received ///// I don’t really expect much traffic because ah ha ha small ship group, but it was really wonderful to read and see them. I’m all fired up now to continue, so thank you again!!


	2. Sugar Frosting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Eustace's birthday, Beatrix makes a surprise visit to his home. However, after just returning from a stressful mission and only wanting sleep, he was less than welcoming to her sudden arrival. To try and improve his mood, she decides to cook him something along with the planned birthday cake. It goes about as expected (ie, terribly wrong) but she makes up for it.

* * *

Knock knock knock.

“Eustace?”

…………

_Knock knock knock!_

“Eustace, you there?”

………………………………

**_Knock knock knock—_**

“Huh, is he really not home…? Or is this the wrong address? This is the info Zeta gave me— _WAUGH!_ ”

A loud scream echoed through the empty hall as the door suddenly flew open, a shirtless, disheveled male erune with dark, tired eyes and blackened gaze glaring at her as he hissed through clenched teeth.

“ ** _What_** _._ ”

Beatrix could only stare at the sight before her, at first initially flustered before her mind started to blank more at the unkempt appearance than the threatening aura exuding from the man towering over her.

“…What happened to _you_!?”

Eustace visibly grimaced at her loud voice and pressed a palm to his brow as it throbbed, his patience already long gone (if it was ever there to begin with). Seeing it, her initial shock changed into concern, and while apologizing in a quieter voice she stepped closer to lightly touch his arm with one hand.

“Hey, are you really okay? Wait, did you just get back!?” She just barely kept her voice down at the end as she looked him over, her eyes scanning his body for any noticeable injuries.

Whatever initial thoughts she had about his state of undress flew out of her mind, instead finding it advantageous as she could more easily examine him even in the dim light. She even pushed passed him, almost knocking him to the side to check around his back in case he was trying to hide something, but to her relief she could find nothing.

It was not until she felt a heavy gaze and looked back up to find him staring intently down at her that she realized she had forced herself into his apartment and her hand was still on him. Immediately she retracted it as if burned and considered rushing back out to excuse herself. Before she could even utter an apology, however, she heard a very low mumble above her head.

“…Sleep.”

“Huh?”

Without saying anything further, Eustace brushed past against her, not even bothering to close the door as he headed towards his bed at the far end of the darkened room, all the curtains drawn closed. She could only stare bewildered as she looked between him and the open door before she gasped.

“…Wait were you—” _Sleeping!? He was asleep!? Usually he’s up with the birds…_ As the realization dawned on her, she wondered if she really should just leave him alone. It was clear he just wanted to sleep and had no patience for anyone else. But when she looked at how he had clearly just dumped everything onto the floor the moment he returned as well as remembering how ragged he looked, she bit her lip and quietly called out to him. “I’ll just tidy up your place and make you some food for when you wake up, okay?”

He was already halfway to his desired destination and paused for only moment before he answered without looking back.

“……………Do whatever you want.”

The words more like a growl, the exhausted erune trudged through the remaining distance back to his bed and fell over face first, not even bothering to pull over the covers as he closed his eyes and immediately shut out the noise.

Two days after Christmas, Ronan sent him on a covert ops mission. While he could handle it, it proved to be more taxing than expected, requiring him to remain alert for large stretches of time and perform various operations with little to no breaks. Although he tried to avoid fights, they were inevitable towards the end. Thus, having barely gotten any adequate rest over the past few days and coupled with the fact he had only just returned and been asleep for perhaps an hour at most before Beatrix arrived, Eustace had good reason to have a short temper. It was rare for him to be this tired and he was used to functioning with less, but even he had a limit and felt exhaustion. So when it did hit, all he wanted was to be alone, enjoy his peace and quiet, and **sleep.**

In fact, he was so tired that despite having Beatrix in his residence, he fell asleep seconds after he collapsed onto his bed. It was something that she thought was unheard of and was concerned that he really was so exhausted to just basically disregard her presence and not even bother to kick her out, which was what she had fully expected. The thought that he might actually trust her enough to lower his guard this much crossed her mind, and a part of her wanted to believe in it—but she shook her head. Even if true, it was still worrisome and disconcerting to see him pushed so hard to this extent. She always believed Eustace could handle anything without complaint or problem, but this proved that even he had limits. Her resolve strengthening, she turned to quietly close and lock the door and take off her boots before staring out at the haphazard trail of armor pieces and clothes leading to the back of the room. It was yet further proof for how little he cared.

Readjusting the bag that had been hanging off her shoulders, she took a minute to looked around the apartment. Despite living in a ward designated for higher ranked Society members, his apartment was only slightly larger than the standard for everyone, something that actually surprised her a little since she had assumed he would get preferential treatment, like some kind of special penthouse suite. But after glancing around some more, she thought this actually suited him best.

It was a one room open layout concept, but it was so large and furnished only with the essentials that it felt barely lived in. Stepping up the small step, her socked feet moved soundlessly over the clean, hardwood floor. She passed a door on her right to what she thought could be either a closet or the bathroom before finding the kitchenette inset deep into the right wall. Most of the residential quarters did not have their own, but while all of the weapon contractors had a small, personal kitchen, Eustace’s was at least twice the size of her own.

Setting her bag down on the spacious counter, her hand ran over the four-eyed stove, looked over at the large ice box, and eyed the deep sink. Ilsa had informed her, but frankly, she was jealous. Thinking of asking him if she could use his kitchen more often in the future, she continued to snoop around and was astonished (but not surprised) that he barely had anything stored at all. Only bottled water resided in the icebox, and she half expected moths to fly out of the rest of the pantry.

_This guy…_ She rubbed her brows. _I know he’s out a lot, so I get it, I do, but not even spices? Or easy to make meals for when he gets back? What did he plan to do after he woke up, just go to the canteen and ask for a sandwich!?_

Feeling more annoyed as she imagined him doing exactly that, she decided then and there to go out and buy enough food and ingredients that would keep for either immediate consumption or an extended period of time. She would need to go out regardless as she had expected him to at least have eggs and decided to take some time to make a list. Did he need any other things? Did he even have _toothpaste_? She would have to look and there were a lot of risks in moving about while he was asleep, but once she was determined, very little could stop her.

Except for when she walked back out to the main area and tripped over a piece of armor that was left lying on the floor.

Barely managing to stifle the yelp as she floundered, Beatrix danced on her tip toes as she desperately tried to not only maintain her balance, but also keep from stomping on the hard floor. With her arms flailing like pinwheels, she continued to hop around until she finally fell over and caught herself on one of the chairs. Immediately she held her breath and looked over at the bed. There was a small twitch of a dark, furry pointed ear, and the white mop of hair turned so that the back of his head was facing her. But only the sound of deep, steady breathing filled the room and slowly the tension around her lessened.

Mentally swearing, she took several deep breaths to calm her nerves before slowly straightening up, her eyes never leaving the sleeping figure. Only after she was certain Eustace was still asleep did she return to staring at the mess around her, still in disbelief that it even existed.

With a small sigh she first tip-toed over to each armor piece and carefully picked up each one, recognizing them as the ones he wore for stealth missions. She then frowned a little from the amount of dirt and…blood? She was accustomed to it, so the sight itself was not what bothered her, but it did make her wonder again what kind of assignment he was on for him to come back in such a state. For now all she could do was try to not have the fabric, leather, and metal pieces rustle against each other as she carried them over to another chair. She draped whatever pieces she could over the back and set the harder armor pieces carefully on the seat and floor, out of the way so that neither of them could trip over them.

Once she was satisfied, next she trained her eyes on the dark, wooden coffee table set in front of a long, gray couch. She did not want to risk moving the keys just yet, knowing that she would need them later, but she grabbed the scattered files and carried them to the desk. Although curious, she knew better than to look since it could be confidential information.

Since the desk was near his bed, she was now only a few steps away from him. She could see how the covers had been thrown aside from when he got up to answer the door, and he never bothered to replace them when he went back to sleep. Even though he always said he was used to the cold and the heating in the building was good, it was still the middle of winter and his bed was right under a large window. Before she had been too preoccupied to really notice, but now that she was right next to him, she bit her lower lip in conflict.

After a few seconds of deliberation, she slowly inched her way closer and reached over to pull at the covers that had been ruthlessly tossed aside. But when the fabric brushed against his skin, she froze when Eustace’s shoulder twitched. Remembering the earlier scare, she kept as still as possible until he rolled over onto his side, his face now towards her. As he did, he let out a soft, groaning sigh as his body curled in a bit. She was too paralyzed by fear to think of anything about this display of behavior, her heart pounding so loudly she swore his too sensitive ears would pick it up. When it was clear he was not going to move any further, she slowly released her own breath before lowering the covers. It was fortunate she was too focused and in fear of waking him or she might have become a little self-conscious about her actions.

Mission completed, she stood up to inspect her work. It was not the best and she dared not adjust or try to formally tuck him in, but at least his body was covered. Able to relax a little more, she looked over at his face and repressed a giggle, the corners of her mouth quirking upward.

_Jeez, even when asleep he has those stupid wrinkles in his brows._

Seeing that knitted brow and remembering how relaxed he seemed when she brushed his hair back in that Christmas town, slowly her hand lowered and faltered before she dared to lightly brush her fingertips against his hair. Again he twitched, this time his ears, and those brows furrowed further. And again she froze, her heart caught in her throat as she dared not to breathe, not even think. But then he relaxed a little, and when she resumed the gentle head petting, those wrinkles loosened until he at last looked calmer and more at peace. Even his breathing seemed to be deeper and more even. Seeing this Beatrix let out a soft smile, lingering a little longer before she slowly retracted her hand.

_Except for those little flinches, he really didn’t seem to notice…and who’s the one who always says to be aware of their surroundings, huh?_ She was tempted to poke his ear, but she resisted as she knew it would only lead to her death if she actually woke him up. _But to be this tired… Well as they say, let sleeping dogs lie. I don’t know when he’ll wake up, but I did tell him I’d make him something for when he does. And if he’s still asleep when I’m done, I’ll just leave_ it _here. That should be fine, right?_

After taking one last glance at the sleeping erune, she carefully picked up the pen and paper, made her way back to the kitchenette and bathroom, wrote up her lists, and set to work.

The scent of cooked eggs, potatoes, chicken, and other aromatic foods roused Eustace from his sleep, the sizzling sound of a pan stirring him more awake. Slowly he pushed himself up, eyes blinking several times as he stared towards the figure wearing an apron standing in front of the small stove. His eyes narrowed at a particular hairpiece tying back the long, reddish brown strands into a high ponytail. As his brain slowly registered who it was, his head then turned to the table where something very strange sat on its surface. Ignoring it for now, his gaze continued to scan the room, noticing how his clothes and armor had been neatly moved to a chair. Considering this for a few moments, he then returned to the young cook. As if feeling his gaze, she turned to look at him. At first it was just a passing glance, but then she jumped, almost knocking the pan off the stove’s eye.

“ _Gah_ , Eustace! You’re awake?” Beatrix glanced at the time and was surprised to see that a few hours had passed, the early morning now just almost noon. Realizing how strange this must look to him, she hastily continued. “You let me in, okay? Just in case you don’t—”

“I remember.” His voice a bit gravelly and heavy from sleep, he closed his eyes and ran a hand through his messy hair. Granted, he only remembered fragments of her arrival, mostly of how tired and pissed off he was at the time, but now he was more aware. She said…she would do something, but it was all a dark blur. “You’re still here?” Although he only meant it as a passing question, because he was still getting his bearings it sounded harsher and more impatient than intended.

“Not on purpose!” It was hard to not feel a little annoyed at his tone, but after reminding herself how exhausted he must still feel, Beatrix stymied her emotions. “Things just took a little longer to prepare, and I had to run out and buy some more eggs and things. Your pantry was completely empty, you know? There was barely anything in your icebox, too.”

“…I’m hardly around and don’t really cook, so there’s no point.”

With those words, he swung his legs over to stand, only to feel the covers slip off his back and realize they had been over him. Did he do that? Or… Glancing at Beatrix with a curious but somewhat troubled gaze, he stood and slowly walked towards her, her back to him as she was focusing on the food. It was odd how it was taking him longer to start, but since he was in his own place of residence and the only other person here was Beatrix, he felt little need to be alert. Perhaps he was also just tired from his earlier overly tense state, so he was allowing himself to relax a little more to better recover.

“—Okay, I guess that’s fair,” she was saying, the loud sizzling of the pan masking his footsteps. “But you should at least have _something_ for a quick meal, like fruits, vegetables, eggs—or bread! You can at least make a sandwich! And it still doesn’t excuse you from at least having salt. Salt!” She turned towards him as if to make a point, but she was surprised when she found him standing right next to her and looking curiously at the contents of the pan. “Wh-wha—Seriously you have to stop sneaking up on me like that!!” she yelled as she shoved her hands against his chest to push him away, only to blush scarlet when she felt warm, bare skin and hard muscles beneath her palms.

Still a little groggy and not really noticing her reaction, Eustace just stepped back with a slight frown. Although he had only tasted her desserts, he had heard about her penchant to make things overly sweet. “You know how to use salt?”

“I know how to pour it down your throat!” she shouted as she turned back to the stove, desperately trying to not blush further. At least she could use anger as an excuse. “Now go—somewhere else, I don’t know! Take a shower or something!”

“…Hm…” He stood there for a moment longer before he stifled a yawn and walked towards the bathroom. “Careful not to burn anything.”

“ _I’ll burn your head!!!!_ ”

With the water running in the adjacent room, Beatrix angrily bustled about the kitchenette as she tried not to think about the fact that she was in a man’s place and said man was now taking a shower right next door. She really never thought much about it before—it was Eustace after all. When they traveled and stayed at inns she had entered whatever room he was staying in plenty of times to hurry him up or for just general meetings. He, too, had barged into her room while she was still sleeping, only to ruthlessly throw off the covers and drop a cold wet towel on her face whenever she was the one late. She had grown so used to his presence, she never felt self-conscious about him before.

Yet ever since that time around Christmas—no, maybe even a little before that, she just could not seem to keep her mind straight whenever he did something unexpected. This time in particular was hitting her hard because she never had to see him half dressed for this long, or be this close and casual around her before. It was… _It was_ … … …

_Aaaah, jeez, Bea, get it together!!_ she desperately yelled at herself. Her face still deeply flushed, she loudly opened the cabinet doors and all but slamming down the plates and bowls, as if trying to drown out her thoughts with the noise.

“I can’t believe this, not even five minutes and he’s already picking a fight with me! Is it because he’s in his own home!?” Unable to keep it internal, she began to voice her complaints aloud. “Did he always have that kind of attitude?! Mr. Cool I Don’t Give a Damn can actually be sloppy and careless!? _That_ guy?? Aaah, no one would ever believe me if I told them, he’s just so— _grrr!_ ”

There was a loud _chop_ of the knife as she diced through some onions before tossing them into the pan, the fragrant scent of hashed sweet potatoes filling the air.

“Lone wolf—what wolf? Instead of a wolf’s den this is more like some lazy old dog’s doghouse! Only the appearance matches, what’s with that!?”

At this point she knew she was talking nonsense, but it helped her ease her mind. Switching off the stove she quickly cut some avocado and huffed. “I bet he didn’t even notice I helped him. For someone who touts paying attention to his surroundings, he really sucks at it when it counts. Awareness, whose awareness!?” An angry _thunk_ of the avocado pit as she hurled it into the trashcan before she grabbed the wooden spatula and lifted the pan to pour the contents onto the plates. She then rinsed off her hands and wrung the hand towel, twisting it around.

“And I’m a girl, what does he see me as?? How could he just walk around like that!? Be a little more courteous and conscious, dammit—!”

“…Be what?”

“Aware of the people around y— _hiyaaa!!!!!!_ ”

Spinning around, Beatrix let out a shriek and flung the hand towel she had been holding right at Eustace’s face.

“ _Put on some damn clothes!!!_ ”

Although he had enough sense to wear pants, the sight of his wet skin after just stepping out of the shower with only a towel over his head was still too much for Beatrix. Slowly pulling the thrown towel away, he gave her a cool, icy stare before he tossed it back on the counter and went to his wardrobe. He wanted to retort that she was the one doing as she pleased in his own apartment, but now that he was more awake, he recognized that he had some fault in not being more considerate around her, let alone bringing a change of clothes with him. So he just swallowed his irritation, rubbed the towel against his hair, and plucked out some fresh clothes before returning to the bathroom to change.

Even before he closed the door, he could clearly hear the flurry of renewed complaints from the other side of the wall. Speaking of which, he heard most of what she said earlier, too.

When he exited, it was a wonder if it was really all that better given the erune fashion. Dressed casually, while his front was covered, the lower half of his sides and back were not and as usual, it was sleeveless.

“Did you go through my bathroom?” he asked as soon as he was out again.

“What, is that a crime now??” she huffed without looking at him. “You should be grateful I did because you were out of toilet paper and other things.”

Hearing that, he frowned and walked over to her. “You bought it?”

“Yeah, with everything else. But don’t worry, I used your wallet.”

There was a long stretch of silence as Beatrix realized her mistake. Before he could reach out to her, she quickly grabbed some plates and used them as a shield, quickly stepping to the side to walk over to the table, mats and glasses of fresh juice already in place along with a certain dessert. Eustace stared at her with a hard glare before sighing. He would have to look how much was spent later, but for now he turned his attention to the second set of plates Beatrix was quickly bussing over.

So?” he asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. “What’s all this for?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she answered, sparing only a glance before averting her eyes.

“It’s for your birthday.”

With the curtains now fully open and the bright sunlight streaming into the open room, Eustace sat on the couch and stared at the contents laid on the table.

December 31st.

His birthday.

In all honesty he had completely forgotten about it and probably would have until the new year changed over.

Beatrix had moved a chair closer to sit on his right and was explaining everything she had prepared. Although she had arrived hours earlier, she had only been cooking for about an hour or two. Most of that time was for the preparation, but especially on the small mocha cake that was sitting right in the middle in front of him. The rest was a simple dish of sweet potato hash browns with sliced avocado and poached eggs. As a side dish, she wrapped minced chicken and vegetables with lettuce leaves to create some chicken lettuce wraps. Since she knew he was exhausted, after careful consideration and asking other cooks, she chose a recipe that was light and would energize him without making him feel too full. It was actually quite thoughtful, and he was a bit impressed by it…but there was a more pressing question on his mind.

“…Why did you do all this?”

“What do you mean?”

Eustace studied her blank expression and briefly wondered before he voiced his thoughts. “You said it was for my birthday, but I doubt you planned to do anything more than bake a cake. …For that matter, what did you originally intend to do, anyway?” He only vaguely recalled that she had been carrying a bag when she first arrived.

“…Ah ha, I guess it does seem a little weird, huh?” she answered with a small scratch to her cheek. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t want to do any real birthday celebration, and I did think that just wishing a ‘Happy Birthday’ would be enough for you like usual. But after I heard you were coming back from a mission, I thought you could use a little reward. Plus knowing you, you’d probably be a hermit and not even think about your birthday. You know I’m right.” She just smirked at his disgruntled frown.

“And?”

Still grinning, she continued. “So I just planned to stop by and force you to celebrate by baking you a cake.”

Now _that_ sounded more like her. “Why did you have to bake it here? Couldn’t you have made it in your own room and then bring it over?”

“Ilsa told me that you’d have a huge kitchen and I wanted to try it.”

_So that’s it._ “They’re the same, just use hers.”

“She wouldn’t allow it.”

Eustace stared at her for several silent seconds, looking as if he wanted to say something but instead just averted his eyes and said a with some soft nonchalance. “…You’re right, she wouldn’t.”

“You were thinking something rude, weren’t you!?” Beatrix shouted as she glared at him.

“…...”

She abruptly stood up and punched him in the shoulder.

After some bickering (“Is that how you treat someone on their birthday?” “Only when they’re being an ass!”), they reconciled and settled back in their seats in awkward silence. Beatrix was the first to break it with a small huff.

“Anyway, that’s all there is to it. You’re always on your own and it’s about time you opened up more.” She then grinned with a smug look. “Like throwing me a birthday party.”

He stared at her before shaking his head. “Just be grateful I remember it at all.”

She laughed since she had been mostly joking. “I guess it would be weird—I can’t even imagine what you would do, send me off to train?”

“…Hm,” he tilted his head as if in serious thought, “that’s not a bad idea. I could ask Ilsa to help.”

“No, wait, don’t think about that so seriously!!” She flailed her arms a bit, already feeling a sense of dread at the idea of the two of them forming some kind of extreme training regimen for her. But when she saw that little smirk, she rolled her eyes and sat back. “It is a little surprising that you bother to remember our birthdays at all, though. You seem the type to not really care about that kind of thing, so when I first heard you wish me happy birthday, I was so shocked.”

Eustace glanced over at her before he finally reached for his plate. “You’re not wrong. It wasn’t until we worked together for a while and established more of a relationship that I started remembering it.”

Beatrix glanced over at him in some surprise. “…Really? Is that how it is?”

“Hm…” There was a small, low hum as he considered how to answer. “You only say it to people you really know, right? It’s the same.”

She slowly nodded as she considered his answer. She was friendlier, but she could only remember personal information like that with those she was close with. But then a thought struck her, and she quickly looked back over. “Wait, does that mean you care about us?”

There was little change in his expression before the corner of his mouth lifted upward.

“More than expected.”

Beatrix stared at him before she turned to face the plate in front of her, her face reddening a bit. She knew he only meant it casually and for everyone, but for some reason it made her heart skip a beat. His words were surprisingly sweet, that faint smile even more so. She had always known that Eustace treated them as close allies and teammates and watched over them. But the idea that maybe they could be more than just partners and something a little more familiar, to finally crack through those frozen walls—it excited her.

Feeling invigorated and not bothering to hide her bright smile, she looked back to watch him take the first bite of the hash browns. As soon as it entered his mouth, his eyes widened in surprise and he looked back down at the contents of the bowl. Thinking he was amazed by the taste, her smile widened as she asked, “How was it? Great, right?”

He only continued to stare before he emotionlessly asked, “…Did you put candy in this?”

“—Huh!?” Beatrix quickly took a spoonful, and while it was not the _worst_ she had done, there was definitely a strange sweetness to it. “What, but—but how!? It tasted fine before!”

With a little more wariness, Eustace took another forkful, carefully tasting the flavors before he furrowed his brows. “Beatrix, what did you do to this? You said it was sweet potato? Are you sure it wasn’t candied potatoes?”

“I’m sure, dammit!!”

As she set the plate down, she recalled the last time she tasted it. It was before Eustace woke up, and after that… She covered her face with her hands as she now remembered going into an angry fit and thoughtlessly adding various things to it.

Eustace continued to stare at his own plate before slowly continuing to eat it. It was definitely sweet and tasted even sweeter than candied potatoes, as if it had been drizzled in honey and syrup. Testing the avocado and eggs, however, proved to be safe, so mixing them all together helped with the taste, making it a more subdued dessert. The chicken lettuce wraps also managed to escape with little damage, although he did taste a bit of honey and the soy sauce seemed sweeter than usual, giving it a… _unique_ flavor. But it also made it easier to eat as everything stuck together. Regardless, no matter what he personally thought, he only had one option and endured.

Noticing him still eating even after tasting everything, she stared at him wide-eyed. “W-wait! You don’t have to continue eating it if you don’t like it.”

“…This is part of your birthday gift, right?” He glanced over at her before mixing another forkful. “Despite the strange sweetness, if I don’t think that I’m eating potatoes it’s not so bad. The rest of the portions are good, too, so it’s fine. I’ll eat it all.”

“—!!”

Her face flushing, Beatrix turned to her own portion. Of course for her she had no problems with the taste, but she was at least aware how it would be for others. So hearing that Eustace would actually finish it despite the strange taste…for some reason, it warmed her heart.

However, when it finally came to the cake, Eustace froze after the first bite before inadvertently muttering aloud.

“…Is this really cake?”

“Hey, no need to be rude about it!”

“Open your mouth.”

“Wha—!?!?”

In one swift motion, he scooped out another piece and shoved it right between her parted lips, his face once again devoid of any expression. Beatrix was so surprised by it, she almost choked—but then she started coughing for a different reason.

“Mmff—!! Ugh— _gech_!! What is—”

“Your cake.”

It was sweet. _Way_ too sweet. It was as if she had dumped sugar frosting into a cake mold and baked it before adding another layer of pure sugar frosting.

“Did you mix up the sugar and flour?” He said it in some jest, more amazed and somewhat exhausted than angry by it. After everything else and past experience with other desserts she had made for the group, he had expected something sweeter than usual, but not quite to this extent. However, he was surprised by her vehement denial.

“But that—that’s impossible! I know I have problems with making things sweet, so I worked extra hard to make sure it was right!”

Beatrix got up from the couch and hurried over to the kitchenette. She immediately went to the side of the counter where the ingredients were left, but there was a stretch of silence before she made her slow return. Her face paled as it hung down, her eyes not meeting his own questioning gaze, and when she sat down, she covered her face with her hands.

When she continued to remain silent, Eustace hesitated before he leaned over and softly called out to her. “Beatrix?”

“You were right,” was the muffled response, but before he could tell her he had not been serious, he sat back when she suddenly straightened up and yelled in frustration. “ _Aaaahh, dammit!!_ ”

Despite her tendencies to make things sweet, Beatrix was a good cook. To make such a simple mistake was a blow to her pride, made worse when she had been otherwise so diligent. After all, the cake had been the original goal. She always gave it her all no matter what she did, and she had put in even more effort than usual because of the occasion. Not only that, she wanted to impress Eustace for once, to prove that she was capable and to give him a happy memory on a day he normally forgot about. Yet in the end, like a lot of things she did, she somehow messed it up.

“Why did I have to screw up on the most important part!? Now it’s just—” Feeling the hot sting of tears, she bit her lower lip and gripped her arms as she fought them off. There was no way she was going to cry in front of him, not right now. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her herself down and managed to say with a bitter smile, “…I’m sorry, Eustace. Let’s just throw it out and I’ll treat you to something else instead.”

Even if no tears were shed, Eustace could see how hard she was taking this and was at a bit of a loss of what to say or do. This was different from a mission; despite whatever failures or mistakes, no matter how upset or angry at herself she got he could always tell that she would bounce back from it relatively quickly. He did not doubt she would eventually recover and carry on like normal, but he was reminded of what happened with Embrasque. It was clearly hitting her more personally and it troubled him.

Looking back at the cake, no one would guess it was made of pure sugar. It was a dark mocha cake, the outer frosting a lighter shade while the moist cake inside was a darker brown with a thin white cream layer. The side was decorated with thin, light yellow icing to form a delicate lattice pattern all the way around. On its top, the strawberries were dusted with a light coat of powdered sugar and carefully placed to form a small cluster a little off to the side, a small circle of crystalized caramel set in their midst. In the center was a dark chocolate square with the words “Happy Birthday” written in a white glaze.

Truly it was far more than he expected, or even deserved. If she had not so proudly claimed it herself, he would have thought it was bought from a store, it was that well-crafted and most of it from scratch. Thus, how could he not recognize the thought and care she put into this? Before he had just been amazed, but now after seeing her so bitterly hurt and disappointed in herself, Eustace realized that this little cake might hold more meaning than just some simple display of well-wishing. It left him with a strange mix of emotions: bafflement, wonder, appreciation…and something a little like gentle affection. His eyes once again drifted to her hair before they flicked down to her trembling, reddening eyes, and he felt a strange squeezing pressure in his chest before he suddenly reached out and grabbed the entire plate.

The sound the small spoon clinking against the porcelain jostled Beatrix out of her thoughts, having taken his prolonged silence as agreement to her suggestion. So to see him now staring so intently at the cake in his hands and the spoon once again raised, her face blanched. “Wai—Eustace, what are you—??”

“I’m eating it.”

Although his words were said with firm resolve, there was a bit of hesitation and wariness as he knew full well this could be a “fatal” mistake. But he had no choice; there was only one true path to take. Staring down at the dessert as if it were an enemy on the battlefield, he hardened his nerves. It was a very small cake, and although it would be better shared with others, a single person could finish it in one or two sittings. Eustace fully intended to do it in one. As he took that cavity inducing spoonful, he grimaced so hard Beatrix reached out to try and take it away. But he only held it out away from her, even standing when she tried again and continued, ignoring her pleas.

“Eustace, stop! You’ll just make yourself sick!”

_…Ugh… Too sweet…_

“I messed up, and I was upset, but I’m over it, okay!? You don’t have to do this!”

He could feel each bite slowly sink to his stomach, each one a heavy block of sugar clumping together.

“Dammit, stop being so stubborn!! I’ll just make you another one!”

She was standing next to him now, again trying to grab the plate from his hands. But he just held it high above his head where she could not even hope to reach, and after taking another painful swallow, he looked at her with somewhat haggard eyes.

“You’re not allowed to use sugar.”

He then walked over to the kitchenette to distance himself from her, and she could only watch helplessly, dropping down to the couch stunned by his response and his stubbornness to continue.

“But…why?”

“I told you before.” Eustace took a break to open the ice box and looked to see what was available. Although she had told him, seeing it full surprised him a bit. Finding some lemons, he grabbed them and a knife to start slicing them, pausing only to take a bite from the slowly diminishing cake. After he sprayed them with a layer of salt, he tossed the slices onto the plate and returned to the couch. Only after he sat down next to her did he look over to meet her gaze, his eyes hardened to leave no doubt that what he was about to say to her was true.

“This was your original goal, wasn’t it? Even I can understand your intentions and I appreciate it. Although it didn’t come out as you wanted, I’m not going to reject something you worked hard on for my sake.”

With those last words of bravado and steeling himself one last time, he started to shovel it all in. If he ate it quickly, he might be able to get through this with minimal damage to his tongue at least—even if it was at the expense of his stomach. Beatrix was left to watch, her eyes trembling as a new strange emotion washed over her and looked down, fighting to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

_What was that…?? Why is he acting so nice now!? He’s being stupid, not heroic, this is just so—embarrassing—what the hell!?_

Despite her internal screaming at him, she was actually quite touched by his actions—and that just made her even more flustered and angry at him. She had wanted to make Eustace happy, yet here she was being on the receiving end as he was clearly doing this to try and cheer her up. Knowing this, despite trying to fight against it, a warm, giddy feeling fluttered in her stomach. It was the same kind of flutter she felt several times on that night in the Christmas village.

Even though she had initially been weirded out by his sudden appearance and embarrassed by how he forced his cloak on her, she had already been inexplicably excited at his unexpected company. She never thought much of his absence and expected to see him later on, but the moment he appeared, she willingly seized the chance to keep him with her. It was a rare opportunity for them to relax and not worry about their work, and she got to see a few sides of him she never had before.

At the time, she really could not explain _why_ she felt so happy at having him around—she used to think him more annoying and difficult to deal with in the past, and he surely thought the same of her. Neither would have imagined them sitting here together in his apartment like this. Yet at some point, she did not know when, she started to notice those hard edges around them soften, and that rocky gap between them gradually closed until it became what it was today.

Although she was not ready to admit it aloud, she was glad. And that was why she wanted to do something special for him, to keep that gap between them close.

When Eustace finally finished, the spoon clattered onto the plate, he sucked through the slices of lemon, shoved it into her hands, and then crossed his arms over his knees before hunching forward to press his forehead against his wrists with a low groan.

“E-Eustace!?” Alarmed Beatrix hastily put the plate down and reached out to touch his back, but she hesitated just above it. “Hey, are you okay?? Do I need to get you some medicine? Or, er, help you to the bathro—”

“I’m fine.” His voice was low, words drawled out in exhaustion. The offer of stomach medication was tempting, but he just took a deep breath before waving a hand above his head. “Just cut me some more lemons.”

Anything. _Anything_ to get rid of the overwhelming sugary taste in his mouth.

With his body stretched out over the couch and his head tilted back against the armrest as an arm draped listlessly over his closed eyes, Eustace remained dead silent as Beatrix cleaned up the table, doing her best to not make too much noise. Despite everything, all the plates that had been served to him were cleared, the small cake finished. Forget about medicine, he just hoped his teeth would not fall out after all that. He even staggered to the bathroom to rinse out his mouth and brush his teeth several times, but he could still _feel_ the traces of sugar in his mouth. And now he felt more exhausted than he did before. Did he skip the so called “sugar rush” and go straight to the “crash”? Regardless, he definitely did not want to even look or smell any kind of dessert for a while.

Not wanting to think about the insanity he just committed anymore, he zoned out, idly listening to the steady rush of water as Beatrix cleaned off the plates, bowls, pots, and pans. He would help or tell her to just leave it and he would take care of it later, but he could barely make himself move. In the end he drifted off to sleep and did not stir until he felt some strange movement at his head. Opening his eyes, he looked up to find Beatrix staring down at him wide-eyed in shock.

“ _Gyah!_ ”

_Thunk._

“ _I’m so sorry!!_ ”

Eustace let out a hiss when his head slammed down onto the armrest and he immediately turned to sit up, rubbing the back of his head. He looked at Beatrix with a silent glare, her face blanched in panic. For some reason she had a pillow in her hands, but the mystery was soon answered.

“I didn’t mean to, you were just—your head was hanging over the armrest and I didn’t think it would be good for your neck, so I was just trying to put a pillow under it so you could be more comfortable!” The words came out in a hurried rush and ended with her suddenly thrusting the pillow into his face as if to prove her words. Unfortunately, she actually _hit_ his face with the pillow, pushing him back and making his head hit the back wall. Another panic cry ensued as Eustace just sat there, the pillow slowly sliding from his face before fingers pressed against his brow, a headache pounding its way in.

After several tense seconds, he glared at her between his fingers before he pointed to the end of the couch and ordered in a cold voice, “Sit.”

Immediately Beatrix closed her mouth and moved to the other side as directed. They sat there in stony silence, one trying to push back the growing headache, the other wondering if she should just leave. But seeing the pained grimace on his face, Beatrix felt so much guilt, she broke the silence with a hesitant offer.

“Can I get you anything? Like aspirin or something…”

“No.”

Honestly he really wanted to accept the offer, but he was not sure if it would be a smart idea to take something with his stomach feeling as it did.

“…I’m sorry, Eustace,” she quietly said, staring down at her hands as they clenched the hem of her shirt. “I really messed up, huh? This is probably the worst birthday you’ve ever had…”

He stayed silent for a small stretch before letting out a long sigh. “…It’s fine, I know you meant well.” His voice softened towards the end, knowing full well that Beatrix had not meant any harm. It was probably why he tolerated it at all. Sitting forward with his forehead leaning against the palm of his hand, he looked over at her. “I don’t really remember many of my birthdays, and this was the first in a while that was shared with someone. So thanks. I appreciate it.”

Although a little pained, he gave her a light smile as he really did mean his words. He could easily imagine what her original plans were, and while it ultimately fell through, just the thought behind it was enough for him. In fact she did more than that, actually cleaning up after him and making him a small meal to help him recover. She could have simply left and returned later, but instead she stayed. It was…sweet, even if he did not know or fully understand why she went this far to begin with.

Caught by the smile filled with such gentle softness that was rarely directed at her, that strange flutter in her stomach returned, this time a little stronger. Hastily she glanced away before she could blush too deeply.

“…You’re welcome,” she finally managed to say. Beatrix then looked at how he was holding his head and after battling with herself for a few moments, she turned to him with determined, if embarrassed, resolve. “Look, I know I messed up with the food, but I can at least make it up to you.” When he looked at her quizzically, she readjusted herself and patted her lap. “Here.”

He just stared at her. “…Here what?”

“Aaaah, jeez!” she cried out, making Eustace wince a bit at the sudden noise. “Do I really have to spell it out to you? Just come here!”

Unable to handle the rising embarrassment, she reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him down to her. The next thing Eustace knew, he was on his back and staring up at Beatrix’s flushed face. It took him several moments to realize that she had forced his head onto her lap. Before he could open his mouth to ask what she was thinking, darkness flooded his vision as her hand roughly covered his eyes.

“Don’t just stare at me like that, this is embarrassing enough as it is,” she said with a strained voice, trying to keep it from rising too high. “Just—stay there, okay? You’re still tired, right? And you’re probably feeling worse after eating all that, so the least I can do is let you rest and relax a bit.”

“…I can rest on my own,” he said slowly as he tried to follow her logic.

“I know, but—you might oversleep and feel even worse and…” She swallowed as she tried to fight the blush, grateful that she was covering his eyes. “I thought…it might help if I pet your head.”

“…I’m not a child.”

“I know that!! But you seemed to relax more when I do it.”

His brows furrowed upon hearing her words. Was that true? When he thought back to the time she was brushing his hair with her hands, he recalled how he did find it soothing and relaxing. Even now her hand felt soft and warm against his brow, her fingertips already lightly massaging it. With it feeling strangely pleasant, it was hard to deny the appeal of her offer. After several more seconds of silence, he let out a small breath that tickled her palm before he adjusted himself a bit to be a little more comfortable, bringing up his legs so that he could stretch himself fully on the couch once more.

“Just don’t do anything weird.”

She stared down at him, his half-covered face impossible to read. Clicking her tongue in irritation, she pressed her fingers a little harder against his brow. “I’m trying to do something nice, and that’s how you respond!? Next time you’re asleep I’m drawing all over your face.”

“…You just told me your plan. Even if you didn’t, you’re really foolish if you think I’d let you get away with it.”

“You’d have to catch me first.”

“Since when have you never been caught?”

“I just let you catch up. You haven’t dealt with me when I’m serious.”

“You can be serious?”

“Of course I can!”

“Hmph…it would be preferable if you were during missions.”

“Hey, you make it sound like I just play around!”

“You don’t?”

She pinched his nose. He pulled down on hers. But after they exchanged glares, one giggled and the other cracked a smile.

When they finally settled down, a peaceful, quiet air of calm settled between them. His hands folded over his chest, Eustace had his face slightly turned towards Beatrix’s stomach. The aroma of her cooking still lingered, a sugary sweetness mixing in with the more familiar fruity, floral scent he was used to. As her hand lightly threaded through his hair, her nails would occasionally graze against his scalp, sending pleasant sensations that traveled all through his body. It made him relax further, and soon all he focused on was following the path of her hand. His breathing deepened, becoming more even, and he began to doze off when he heard her voice softly speak out.

“…Hey, you know it’s the new year tomorrow, right?”

“Mm…what about it?” There was a lazy drawl in his voice that made the corner of her mouth lift a little. “Did you have plans to go with Zeta?”

“Not…exactly,” she slowly said as if distracted.

Hearing the strange tone in her voice, he opened one eye and shifted his head slightly to look up at her. Her gaze was averted, as if she was hesitant to say whatever it was that was on her mind. Given everything today, he could easily guess what it was. “…If you’re wondering what my plans are, I don’t have any.”

“Wait, really?” she asked a little too loudly.

He frowned a bit. “…Is it really that surprising?”

“Well…no, I guess not,” she relented, realizing how she came across. “You just don’t really seem like the type to go out and participate in the festivals and parties. Even for Halloween it was only because we had an assignment. It must be weird since it’s also your birthday, too, but this is a good way to celebrate it with others, you know?”

Eustace hummed a little in thought. “I suppose that’s true. I tend to not think about it much.” He then closed his eye and settled his head back down into her lap. “Usually I just go out for a drink around the time they ring the bell.”

“Just that? What about the games?”

“Occasionally, but I prefer watching.”

“I guess that’s better than nothing.” Beatrix went silent, her hand slowing as if in thought before she stopped and looked down at him.

“You should join us. We’re meeting with Gran and Lyria and the others in the neighboring island. Vaseraga and Ilsa might be able to come with Cassius, too.”

“…Hm.”

Because of how late he came in, Eustace had considered skipping out with the traditional new year’s celebrations and just rest before he was sent off again. Like with the other holidays, he did not really mind the festivities much, and in fact found enjoyment in watching others celebrating it. Sometimes he tagged along with the others, sometimes he was on his own if he was on an assignment. Hearing Beatrix’s invitation…it sounded a little enticing.

After a few more thoughtful seconds, he nodded. “All right.”

“Really!?”

Surprised by the rise in her voice, he looked up to see Beatrix staring down at him with a bright, hopeful smile. But when their gazes met, she realized her mistake and quickly looked away, coughing as her cheeks flushed a little.

“I mean, that’s great. It’s better if you can celebrate it with other people. Have you been to the town during New Year’s?”

“Mm…a few times in the past.”

“Then how about we meet at the shrine’s entrance?”

Eustace looked at her for a moment, slightly puzzled. “We’re not going together?”

“…Eh…”

It was an innocent and practical question. After all, since they were traveling from the Society headquarters, it only made sense that they would take the same airship. But Beatrix felt a strange skip in her heartbeat as she stared at him. “Wha…w-well I’m meeting Zeta there to get ready, so I’ll have to leave a little earlier… I assumed you’d probably want to come when it’s later at night.”

“…I see.” For some reason Eustace felt a strange sense of disappointment, but he ignored it. “I have some work to finish up, so meeting later would be better.”

“Wow, they can’t give you a break?”

“It’s better if I do it while I can since I never know when I’ll be sent out again.”

“So it’s you being a workaholic.”

“You should try it sometime instead of scrambling last minute.”

She tugged hard at his hair and he winced, but there was a small smile hidden behind it.

“Then, let’s meet around ten? I hear they’re going to have a lot of new food there, and I don’t know if you ever tried the games, but they’re really fun! I bet I could even beat you in some.”

There was a small laugh as he smirked. “Don’t kid yourself.”

“Hey! I _know_ there are some things you’re not good at. When was the last time you played games, anyway? Don’t think just because you have all your cool skills that it’s the same.”

“They’re all rigged.”

“Hah, sounds like an excuse,” she smirked before she touted, “That’s why only an _experienced_ game player will be able to get through.”

“…You’ve never won anything, have you.”

Hearing that he was making a statement and not a question, she once again tugged at his hair. “I have, too! Just…maybe not a lot, but I’ve been practicing!” Before he could open his mouth, she shouted, “And I still keep up with my training, dammit!”

He just tilted his head a little to cast her a sidelong glance. “Guess we’ll see the fruits of your labor later tonight then.”

Upon his agreement, a strange glint flashed through her eyes as she grinned. “Then let’s put some stakes into this. Whoever loses has to do whatever the winner says for a week.”

He arched a brow. “…You’re that confident.”

“Of course!”

Seeing her brimming with such enthusiasm, another little smile appeared before he turned away. “Just don’t regret it later.”

“Hmph, that’s what I should be saying to you.” But despite her words, there was a wide smile on her lips, her eyes bright again with the failure of the cake pushed to the far recesses of her mind. “Just don’t forget, okay? Or it’ll be an automatic loss.”

“You sound like a kid excited to go to the festival.”

“You just don’t know how to express joy.”

“Do you want me to?”

“…No, don’t, that would be too weird. I don’t think my heart could handle it.”

Arching a brow, he glanced up at her. “What are you imagining?”

“Ugh, stop! You’re clearly talking nonsense because you’re still tired so just go to sleep,” she said as she shoved her hand against his head. “I’ll wake you up before I have to leave.”

He wanted to laugh and retort that she was one who started it, he felt her fingers threading through his hair, so he refrained and let her have her way. However, there was something he felt he should say, so he lifted her hand so he could properly face her.

“Beatrix.”

His voice was quiet, and he had a gentle countenance as he looked up at her. For some reason it made her feel a little self-conscious and she tried not to look at him directly. “What?”

“I said it before, but thanks. I think I needed this.” Despite everything, he really did need something to relax and take his mind off the past few days. He never would have guessed Beatrix would be the one to help him with that, but here he was, finding that little bit of comfort in her presence.

Again she felt that flutter of happiness bubble up, but knowing that she would blush and not wanting him to see how his words affected her, she desperately fought it down and instead kept looking around in a fluster. “W-What are you saying now? This really isn’t like you, you’ve really been working too hard. Just don’t take this for granted, okay, it’s only because it’s your birthday and you were clearly worn out!”

There was just a small, low chuckle, a faint smile on his lips before he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax once more. “Got it.”

He could guess that she was just covering up her embarrassment, and in a way it was a little amusing and cute. Again that was something a little weird to think about when it came to her, but he was slowly getting more used to it. Regardless of the strangeness, he really could not find a reason to push her away nor did he even want to. It seemed he had grown accustomed to her presence and found it…comfortable.

Hearing that small laugh and catching that smile, Beatrix blushed more freely since he was no longer looking—though she was not sure if it was out of embarrassment, annoyance, or a strange mix of both. It was weird to see him so compliant and joke around with her instead of just annoyingly teasing her, but she found that she liked it a little. It was refreshing to see him relaxed around her instead of always wound up and keeping to himself. As she continued to gently thread her fingers through his hair, occasionally brushing her fingertips against the base of his ears, her own soft smile formed.

As both started to drift off, they shared the same thought: how nice it would be if they could have more of these peaceful, almost tender moments together.

Although Beatrix said she would wake him, it was Eustace who woke up to find her leaning against the side of the couch, a bit of drool leaking from the corner of her mouth and pooling onto the cushion. Noting the evening rays passing through the windows, he could only assume that a few hours had passed—likely more than initially planned.

_She must have been exhausted as well_ , he thought as he looked over at her, still completely unaware. With a small, helpless sigh, he raised himself and reached out to poke her cheek, but his hand stopped just short. In the silence of the darkened room, steel blue eyes stared at the young, peaceful face before his hand moved to lightly finger the long tail of her hair ribbon. The soft, white lace felt delicate under his touch, the yellow silk soft. It was one of the first things he really noticed when she first arrived and what always caught his attention throughout the day.

It was strange. He never thought it would mean that much to him but seeing her wear it made him feel a little happy, and a light smile unknowingly formed. He had no idea if she had worn it on purpose or if it simply matched her outfit, but it stirred that fuzzy bit of warmth in his chest all the same. Without thinking, the crook of his finger gently brushed against her cheek, pushing back a few loose strands of hair.

No, there was something else that was strange.

How he felt relaxed and comfortable around her presence was also strange and different. There were times she still annoyed him, and she was the opposite of him in almost every way. Yet at some point he had lowered his guard around her, learned to trust her along with the others. He could have easily cast her out, yet he let her in instead. That warmth and sense of ease he had noticed before around Christmas had only strengthened.

It was all strange…but he did not mind it. In fact, if he was not careful, he might start yearning for it.

Only after he realized how long he had been staring did he regain his senses and hastily pulled back.

“Beatrix, wake up.” Because of the awkwardness from before, his voice came out colder and a little harsher than intended. However it did not seem to matter as she only stirred a little, her head flopping over to the other said as she made a strange expression, her mouth widening into a goofy smile as it mumbled something about pancakes. Feeling more like the usual, he narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to her ear.

“You’re late to your meeting with Ilsa.”

Immediately her eyes shot open as she bolted upright. “What, Sergeant, where!?”

Fortunately Eustace expected such a response, so he leaned back in time. What he did _not_ calculate, however, was Beatrix suddenly throwing out her arms and standing up, effectively clocking him in the chin and knocking him off the couch. Upon feeling a sharp pain to her hand and hearing a solid, hard _thump_ at her feet, she stared down at him in a daze before her slowly waking brain caught up.

“Huh, Eustace—!? Why are you—wait—huh!?”

With a hand pressed against his chin, he really only could blame himself. After all, it was Beatrix—and she had already proven how much of a hazard she was to his health today. Eventually he cleared up the confusion, stopping her from apologizing since it really was his fault in playing that little prank on her. He then helped gather her things and saw her to the door.

There she looked up at him a little sheepishly, still in disbelief that she still managed to cause him pain and grief in the end. “Still don’t think it’s your worst birthday?”

“It’s certainly the most memorable one,” he answered with a somewhat dry smile.

“I’m still surprised you didn’t kick me out from the start.”

Eustace was silent for a moment, before he finally said, “It’s you, so it’s fine.”

She blinked up at him, her expression blanking as she tried to comprehend his words. “Huh?” Wasn’t it _because_ it was her that he was more likely to kick her out?

“Don’t overthink it,” he said dismissively before opening the door for her and leaning against the frame. “If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss the next flight out.”

“What—oh, right.” Still trying to wrap her head around his words, she glanced back at him before stepping out. “Don’t forget! Ten o’clock at the shrine entrance!”

“I know.” He then waved her off, urging her to leave.

“If you do, it’s a forfeit!”

“Beatrix, just go.”

Every few feet she would turn around to call out something to him. Reminders of which town, which shrine, their bet, suggestions on what to wear, the weather. At first he was tempted to just walk in and close the door so she would stop making so much noise, but there was something about the bounce in her step that made him stay, as if wondering to see how far she would go. She managed to reach the end of the hall and stop at the top of the stairs before she finally gave one last glance and wave before rushing down, her footsteps echoing through the stairwell before they too faded. He waited until there was only silence before he finally turned to enter his apartment, the door closing quietly behind him.

By now the shadows had grown long, the air a little cooler than before. A strange sense of loneliness greeted him as he stared out in the large, empty space, the silence he usually welcomed oddly discomforting. But after a small shake of his head and turning on a few lamps, he returned to his usual routine and eventually the strangeness faded back to normalcy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /looks at word count. It’s uh…nevermind, not shorter ahaha. 
> 
> Anyway, I won’t lie, I just arbitrarily chose December 31st as Eustace’s birthday because that was when his unit was released. But after looking up the actual zodiac info, it’s like. Perfect??? I’m sure there are others that could work just as well or even better, but it’s like a knock out of the park. I already threw a dart for Beatrix that I think will fit (although I’m open to suggestions). Can better believe there will be a Birthday #2 fic somewhere down the line!
> 
> And guh, this thing was way too sweet towards the end. About as sweet as that sugar cake monstrosity. As usual a lot of things just kind of happened, and since this was a little more on the “slice of life” side it’s another “slow pace” one. But it was super cute, and I really enjoyed writing such a “domestic” setting for them since it really reflects how close they’ve become. In particular for Eustace, it was a good way to show trust development in this setting and give Beatrix a little peek at his gentler side. And yet they still bicker because that’s just how they are and why I love them so. 
> 
> Next up, New Year’s!


	3. Sparks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final prequel installment, this is set immediately after the previous one. To celebrate the New Year, Beatrix and Eustace compete in various games, including a "special" scene at the shooting gallery, and Beatrix gets so drunk she not only clings onto Eustace, she adamantly demands to pet his ears.

* * *

Booted heels clashed against the cobblestones as a lithe, young woman raced through the crowded streets, the long, deep blue sleeves of her kimono trailing after her. Swerving around a corner, she hit the main road and had to slow down as more people blocked her path, the throngs of festival goers growing as the midnight hour drew nearer.

“ _Aaaah, dammit!!_ ” Beatrix cried out loud, doing her best to avoid anyone who had yet to move out of her way. Several times she stumbled, but she refused to fall, instead managing to hop and spin with a bit of a flail of her arms to regain her footing before resuming her fast run. “Of all the times to be late!!”

When she could finally see the gateway leading to the island’s main temple, her already fast beating heart quickened as her eyes started to scan through the crowds. _He’s stupidly tall, he can’t be_ that _hard to find…!_ Unfortunately, with the number of draphs and other tall erunes wandering about, it was indeed that hard to find the specific one she was looking for. That was until she redirected her search off to the sides, knowing that he would prefer being away from the noise than be in the thick of it. Through the gap of the crowd, she caught the familiar mop of white hair, dark pointed ears, and leather cloak before fully seeing the figure leaning against the wall of a nearby store, partially hidden by the shadows.

“—Eustace! Eustace, hey!!” she shouted as she tried to push her way against the living tide, ignoring the looks and mutterings thrown at her as she bumped more than a few elbows and backs. When she finally broke through, she gasped and hunched forward, grasping her knees as she tried to catch her breath. “Sor…la…ran… …”

Seeing her in such a frazzled state, Eustace let out a small sigh and straightened up from his stance. “Catch your breath first.”

Before her arrival, Eustace had been waiting against the storefront to stay out of the way of the passing crowds while remaining somewhat visible. For a while he had watched everyone with some idle curiosity, but after some time had passed, he closed his eyes and tuned it out until it all became a seamless murmur. Despite managing to get some much needed sleep during the day, he was still feeling some of the fatigue and took Beatrix’s lateness as an opportunity to rest a little longer. He maintained a minimal level of awareness, his focus on her eventual arrival. Thus only her voice clearly broke through the indistinct mumble of noise—although it took the second call and the sound of her steps approaching to really get his attention. And when he opened his eyes and saw her bursting through the crowd…it was so very much like _her_ that he could only stare, both unaware of the slight, wry smile that had formed before it faded into slight exasperation when he spoke up and stepped up to her.

Glancing at his watch, he noted the time and looked at her. “You’re fifteen minutes late.”

“I know,” Beatrix groaned as she finally straightened up, brushing back some of her loosened hair.

“After you reminded me several times to be here at ten,” he continued in his usual nonchalant tone.

“ _I know!_ ” She pressed her palms against the side of her head and spun to the side, as if trying to hide her agony. “But it wasn’t my fault, okay! …Not completely.” Feeling his stare, she sighed and continued. “I was with Zeta and the others had already arrived, so we were with them for a bit. We were trying to get Sergeant into a kimono, but she was being stubborn about it, so more time passed…and then Cassius wanted to look at a few things and somehow managed to wander off, so we had to track him down—ugh it was a complete mess.”

Listening to her hardships, Eustace quirked a brow. “Sounds like I missed a lot.”

“It’s better that you did,” she sighed before running her hand through her long bangs, sweeping them to the side. She then glanced over at him a little nervously. “You weren’t waiting too long, were you? I _am_ sorry, you know—I tried to get here as fast as I could.”

Noting her pensive expression, he looked her over. Despite the mad dash through the streets, she managed to keep her appearance mostly in order, but there were still signs of how she had been rushing and fighting through the crowds. Normally he would have made an off comment about her always being late but given everything she had done for him earlier that day and the clear effort she put for him now, he decided to withhold such words. Instead he stepped closer to her, reaching out to fix some of her hair accessories that had come loose.

“…It’s fine, I wasn’t waiting that long.”

Suddenly hearing his low, quiet voice so close to her ear, Beatrix had to fight the heat that threatened to stain her cheeks red. She could feel the back of her neck warming as she felt his fingers grazing the top and side of her head every now and then, briefly recalling the few times he had fixed her hair back around Christmas and wondered if this was going to happen more often in the future. She then stole a glance and could better see that although he had his weapon as always, he had dressed down for the night, his clothes casual and similar to what he had on earlier that day. Realizing she was thinking how good he looked in charcoal gray, she mentally smacked herself. Really, why did she always get so nervous and self-conscious around him now? Her voice only a little stiff as she tried to remain as calm and collected as possible, she kept her eyes to the side as she gave a small laugh as if to try to distract herself.

“You really like playing with my hair now, huh?” It was an attempt at a joke, but when his hands suddenly stopped, she wanted to take it all back in fear that he might say or do something to retaliate instead. But his answer in return caused her heart to skip a beat.

“Does it bother you?”

Rather than deny, he was asking if it bothered her. _Isn’t that basically admitting he did like it!?_ She tried to argue with herself that she must be misinterpreting the meaning behind his words, but usually Eustace was direct in his answers when it came to things like this. Unable to conclude anything on her own, she turned slightly to face him only to find him staring at her, as if waiting for her response. Caught in his quiet gaze, she stammered in a small voice before looking away again, finding herself embarrassed at having to even consider something like this. If she said it did bother her, would he stop?

“Uuh…no, it’s fine…”

Just weird. Very weird. Yet as she stole another shy glance at him, she could not help that it was also a little nice and kind of cute, maybe even endearing. She never would have expected him to be the type to want to work with anyone’s hair, least of all hers, so it was difficult for her to process this. At least during Christmas there was a suitable reason, and him helping her is a legitimate excuse as well. But he did not even say he was just helping her. _Aaah, jeez I can’t understand what he’s thinking!_

While Beatrix was suffering her mental turmoil, Eustace was focused on the hair piece. As usual, her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, the braided band tying it back a dark blue. A large, blue striped bow attached to the side, a soft white pom at its center and two deeper blue silk tails attached. To complete the look, two red hair sticks kept everything in place while adding a festive flair to match the kimono style she wore. Fortunately everything more or less stayed together, but the bow and pins had been tilted askew and had slid down a bit. Since he did not need to redo her ponytail, all he had to do was take out the bow and pins and reset them a little higher.

He had approached her to help assist in fixing it without a second thought, mostly thinking it would be a form of compensation for her efforts. But her question had thrown him off guard, and it was fortunate that she had been looking away or she would have seen the strange stunned and conflicted expression that had arisen on his face. Although his actions had been automatic, when he had to think about it and the other recent times, he wondered if he really was drawn to her hair in some way. While he would not claim he found any particular _joy_ in it, he certainly did not mind it. Even now he could not help but let his fingertips brush against a few of those soft, smooth strands, a sweet scent lifting into the air. So if he had to give any kind of answer, at the moment it just felt like some kind of impulsive action based of some strange desire he could not give a name to.

Of course he could not tell her _that_ ; even he knew how weird that would sound. So he had asked his question to her instead. After all, if it bothered her then he would stop completely and try to discard this strange new feeling that had somehow developed. But when she basically gave him permission, there was another strange feeling, one of relief and satisfaction, as if glad that he could continue with this new indulgence. Even so, however, he did not linger for too long. Once everything was set, he stepped back, granting her personal space again.

Feeling his movements, Beatrix tilted her head towards him before slowly reaching up to lightly touch the hair piece. It felt more secure than it had been before, and when she turned around to step to the shop window, she could faintly see in the reflection his handiwork. Not that it was anything special, but she was surprised all the same.

“Wow, I’m a little impressed you knew how to set the hair sticks in place,” she said in some awe before she glanced back at him. “You know, I thought about this last time, but have you done this before? I doubt even you could just blindly guess at what to do and still make it look good.”

Eustace looked at her in slight surprise before he gave a slight shake of his head. “It’s been a while, but I had some practice when I was younger.”

At his answer, Beatrix straightened before turning to face him fully. “When you were younger?”

He gave a quiet nod, his whole demeanor softening as he thought back to those bygone days, a small smile flickering across his lips. “Honestly I had forgotten but fixing your hair last time reminded me of when I used to help my mother.”

Seeing that strange, melancholic look along with hearing him mention his mother for the first time sent an odd pang to her heart, her fingers awkwardly gripping the sleeves of her kimono as she wondered if she should press more or leave it at that. She knew vaguely of his past, but she never thought about prying into it nor did she want to now—even if she was a little curious. So she tried to play it off by saying, “I see,” in a lofty, almost carefree voice. One foot shuffled against the ground before she hopped forward back to him, one hand brushing back a loose strand of hair behind her ear before she offered him a light if awkward smile. “In any case, thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”

Understanding that she was moving off from the topic and appreciating the consideration, he gave a soft, faint smile in return. At that moment, a sudden rousing cheer from the main temple grounds caught his attention. Turning his attention towards it with heightened alertness, he completely missed the way her eyes focused on him before she turned her head away with a hand once again fidgeting with that loose strand of hair. Ascertaining that it was just a simple cheer, he then glanced at his watch and looked back to her. She quickly moved her hands to behind her back and was giving him an awkward, almost forced smile, one that he wondered at for a moment before he slowly spoke. “Should we go then? There’s only a little over an hour left before midnight.”

“Ah—yeah!” Beatrix laughed, still unable to completely shake off the awkwardness before she stepped up to him and tried to bring in some of her usual energy and cheer. “We’ll be cutting it close, but we have to do at least a few games before the year is over!” She then quickly turned to head towards the main road.

From the way he looked at her before they proceeded to walk into the main temple grounds, she knew she was acting strange. But whenever he threw her that rare smile, it always caught her off guard, and this one was a little different. She noticed the traces of melancholy in his eye, an expression she had sometimes but rarely caught from the otherwise guarded erune, and she felt that sharp yet strange twinge of sadness from before. But things had changed between them now—or so she wanted to believe—and after she stole a glance up at him, she decided then and there that she would make not only the end of this year, but the next year different for him as well. One filled with happier, more fulfilling memories.

With this in mind and resolve firming, once they entered the area where most of the game booths and food stalls had been set up, she reached over and grabbed his sleeve, pulling at him with so much sudden force that Eustace almost tripped as he had been looking elsewhere.

“What are you—”

“Just follow me, I know _exactly_ which games we’re doing!” she grinned at him before she continued to tug him along, quickening her steps to a brisk jog and forcing him to follow at her pace. “And you said it yourself, we don’t have a lot of time, so we have to hurry! Use those long legs!”

He could only stare at her back as he awkwardly kept up with her, too bewildered to process her actions and still ensnared by that bright and spirited expression. Since she was only holding onto his sleeve, he could easily pull his hand away so that he was not so forcibly pulled along, but for some reason he found himself not actually bothered by it. In the end he just followed silently, letting her lead him through the booths and crowds.

Already this felt different compared to the last time they were together. Instead of a more relaxed, passive traversal through the streets where he just watched her from behind, there was a buzz of excitement, a strange energy that passed from the hand at his sleeve and spread up through his arm and body. He almost felt more involved, invigorated even, and it caused a strange jolt of awareness and anticipation, as if the festive air was trying to break through his normal subdued nature and pull him out. Strangely enough, he did not feel like trying to stop it, either. In fact, he was starting to welcome it.

When Beatrix finally stopped in front of a line of game booths, she released her hold on his sleeve and smirked as she spread her arms out. “All right, this is how it’s going to go! We don’t have a lot of time, so we’re just going to do one round each of as many games as possible and as _fast_ as possible. So you can’t just stand around and take your time.” The smirk deepened as she thought this would level out the playing field. She could not overlook Eustace’s natural talents and knowing that he would be more likely to study and calculate how to overcome any game rigging, she made a condition that preempted it. Her confidence carrying to the smug expression on her face, she held up one finger in front of him. “The one who wins the most out of them all is the ultimate victor and wins the debt.”

Listening to her terms, Eustace crossed his arms over his chest and arched a brow. The condition of going through the games quickly was a smart move on her part—he could see what she was trying to do. On the field he would have no issue in needing to react quickly, but when it came to these games, even he doubted how well he would succeed if he was forced to act without being able to make the proper adjustments. Beatrix would also be at the same disadvantage, but she was already more likely to be more reckless and impulsive with these games to begin with. Regardless, he thought it might be an interesting way to test themselves, so after a moment’s thought, he nodded.

“Very well, I’ll agree to the terms.”

Happy to hear him agree so easily, she then turned to the booth right in front of them. “Then let the games begin!”

They played several games in quick succession, many with surprising results. Eustace won the ring toss and darts, but Beatrix claimed victory over the bean bag toss and a mini bowling game with milk bottles. This kind of pattern continued until at some point they thought a less about the score and more about the competition between them. At first Beatrix was the only one fired up, with Eustace maintaining his usual calm demeanor with the occasional frown when he missed a target. But after several rounds he started to get more into it, making small comments on her performance, be it genuine praise or light teasing. His expression revealed more of his concentration and eagerness as he put more effort in trying to win, sometimes even adding a bit of a flair or showing off if they were at a game he knew he could win easily. And if he missed or made an error, there would be the soft click of the tongue, the annoyed scowl carrying a look ready to amend it and take on the next game with a more competitive edge than before.

All of these little changes Beatrix would notice, and whenever he cracked a genuine grin or gave a small laugh, a tingle of warmth spread through her chest as a delighted smile of her own formed before laughing. Even if it was at her loss, seeing Eustace actually letting loose and having fun was something she did not expect but had hoped to see. It reminded her a little of that snowball fight back during Christmas, but this was different. Perhaps it was because of the setting and the nature of the festival games, but he looked more youthful, more natural.

She wanted to see more of it.

What she did not realize was that Eustace was watching her in the same way. At some point he began to notice the bright fire in her eyes whenever she jumped and cheered at her victory. He even found how she would boast more amusing than childish like he used to. It was not the first time to see her so lively and spirited, but tonight she seemed to shine even more, and he was reminded again of how he preferred to see her like this than in any other mood. Perhaps it was her joy that was infectious and made him feel more lighthearted and able to enjoy himself, to let that smile linger longer than just a momentary flash.

After another set of games that kept their score at a tie, the pair took a break by some of the food vendors. Sitting at a benched table, Beatrix leaned her back against the table’s edge and stretched out her legs as she waited for Eustace to return with his food, trying her best to not go ahead and dive into her funnel cake. She had been too distracted by the activities before, but now that the treat was in front of her she was more than ready to devour it. So when she saw Eustace make his usual slow approach, she could not help but be a little impatient as she swung her legs around and looked up at him.

“Ugh, about time! If this were a food eating contest, I’d win hands down.”

As he set his carton of meat kebabs and diced chicken on the table, he glanced at her with an arched brow before sitting next to her. “Is that really something you should be proud about?”

“That… _hey!_ ” Realizing what he was implying she reached over and punched his arm, her cheeks slightly flushed. “You know what I meant!”

He leaned slightly back from the punch but made no reply, except for a small smirk that Beatrix missed as she had turned back to look at her funnel cake and stab it with her fork.

“Seriously you…” She muttered under her breath and found comfort in the warm, crispy but soft morsel, the powdered sugar dusting her lips before she licked them clear. As she cut off another piece, she glanced at the bag that was resting between them and was contemplative for a moment before she spoke again. “But we did a lot of games, huh? How many was it?”

Chewing on a piece of chicken, Eustace mentally recounted their path and then glanced at his watch. “Ten in the span of…about forty minutes.”

“Whoa, really?” She stared at him in awe for a moment. “I knew we were going fast, but that’s hard to believe… We got a lot of prizes, though.” Beatrix looked at the bag full of random toys and trinkets they acquired. They ranged from small stuffed animals to wooden whistles to random keychains. While they could not focus on the grand prizes, that did not stop them from aiming for the higher tiered rewards. Of course most of them were won by Eustace, but she supplied a few herself. With a smug grin she added, “Hehe, I bet if we had more time we could have cleared them out.”

“You would have to carry it all if we did,” Eustace answered without looking at her, his attention instead on the food before him.

“Hey, you’d have to carry your share, too!” she snapped back, but there was no malice in her voice. In fact she had a light smile as she imagined Eustace carrying a huge teddy bear and really wished she could see it. Taking another look at the bag, she hummed in thought. “What should we do with them, though? Some of them are cute so I might keep one or two, but I don’t really need the rest of them, and I doubt you’d want any.”

Looking at the bag properly, he thought for a few moments before he slowly voiced his thoughts. “Could give it to the others of the crew. There are some children there who might like it, maybe even Lyria.” Sometimes it surprised him to see children on the Grandcypher, but when he considered the kind of person Gran was, it made sense. Even if not there, some had younger relatives or would know of some they could send them to; or just take for themselves for whatever reason.

“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Beatrix exclaimed with a bright light in her eye. “I’m sure someone might find something in here amusing. And if not, we can donate it somewhere else, like the local orphanage.”

Hearing her suggestion, Eustace thought it over before he crossed his arms over the table and looked over at her. “Should we just do that then?”

She looked at him in slight surprise. “You mean just go ahead and donate it?”

“Mm,” he nodded. “At least the more worthwhile items in there,” he added after considering how many cheap and truly worthless items there were.

A light smile formed as she tried to imagine Eustace handing out toys to little kids. It varied between him being an awkward stiff to being surprisingly gentle, and she wanted to see what it would actually be. “Yeah, let’s do it,” she answered cheerfully. “But that means we need to play more games—we still have to break that earlier tie.”

“After we eat.” While not ravenous, once he had food in front of him he did not want to be disturbed from it.

Knowing how he could get, Beatrix just laughed. “Okay, okay. Here, do you wanna try some of my funnel cake?”

“You’re actually willing to share?”

“Keep saying things like that and I won’t!” She answered with a sharp kick to his shin with the heel of her boot. But even as he grimaced and instinctively reached down to rub the area, she cut him a piece and held it out to him. “But even if you’re a jerk, I _guess_ you earned something. Here.”

There were traces of a scowl as he looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes. Really, he knew he had teased her, but was that kick necessary? So after staring at the piece for a moment, he leaned over and took it straight from the fork with his mouth.

Seeing this, Beatrix’s eyes widened slightly before she let out a yell of protest. “Hey, I wasn’t trying to feed you!”

“Compensation.”

“It was just a kick!”

“You left a bruise last time.”

“—What, really!?”

Dumbstruck by this sudden news, Beatrix sat there wondering how that was even possible while Eustace chewed on the funnel cake. She was pulled out when he asked, “This has cinnamon?”

“Ah…yeah,” she said with a small glance away back toward her own halfway finished plate. “I thought it would taste better with it than if it was just plain sugar.”

“Hm…I think so,” he said with a nod of approval. Of course with his preference towards cinnamon, it was not too surprising.

A fact that Beatrix knew well.

As she sat feeling secretly pleased that she chose the flavoring he would like, Eustace picked out one of the remaining kebabs he had set aside and held it out to her.

“Here.”

“Huh?”

“Consider it your own reward,” he said with a half shrug before he lightly pressed the soft meat against her lips.

She just stared at him, feeling the warmth spreading over her cheeks and she tried her best to keep it at light flush, before she slowly parted her lips to take a tentative bite. But as soon as the juicy flavors of the beef hit her tongue, all sense of her earlier embarrassment vanished. “Wha—this is really good! And this is festival food!?”

“Hey, don’t be rude,” he chided, but there was faint grin as he watched her.

“And…it’s a little sweet…” It was subtle, but she could taste a little sweetness in the sauce. Surprised she looked at him. “What kind is it?”

“Teriyaki beef, but the glaze has brown sugar in it.”

“Brown sugar…” She stared at the stick that was still held out to her before she slowly reached out to tentatively take it from his hand. There was not a lot of space, so when her fingertips inadvertently brushed against his she tried to not notice the warmth that passed between them. Only once she had it did he finally let it go and sit back. Briefly she wondered if he deliberately got it similar to how she had chosen the cinnamon for the funnel cake, but then she shook her head to clear the thought and smiled. “Thanks.”

A comfortable silence settled between them as they resumed eating, Beatrix later cutting him another piece of the funnel cake filled with cinnamon topping, and Eustace dropping a few pieces of chicken and another kebab on her plate, the meat having an extra drizzle of that sweetened glaze. Although it was not a complete meal, by the time they finished there was a different sense of fullness.

In the end Eustace won through sheer luck—in the final game, he guessed the right number of marbles in a jar. Beatrix did not want to end it there, especially when he admitted he just threw a random number, but they were out of time, had amassed quite a bagful of decent prizes, and it was soon almost time for them to meet up with the others. With Eustace once again acting as bag carrier, they made their way out to the main area to find their friends. But near the exit, a certain prize hanging from a shooting gallery caught Beatrix’s attention and her eyes gleamed. “Hey, Eustace, is it okay if we do one more? Not for a competition, I just want to try it once.”

Seeing the booth, Eustace looked at her with some surprised curiosity before glancing at his watch. They were cutting it close and normally he would force her to forget it and come back for it later, but somehow the way she was looking at him reminded him of a small puppy. After another moment’s hesitation, he sighed and decided he could indulge her a little more.

“Just be quick.”

“I know,” she nodded, this time understanding that she was the one delaying them.

Quickly she trotted up to the booth and called out for the owner who was starting to pack up. The older man was a little disgruntled at her approach, but seeing Eustace’s imposing figure behind Beatrix, he quickly took out one of the toy rifles and handed it to her.

“What are you aiming for?” Eustace asked as he stepped to stand alongside her and looked at the targets.

“Oh, uh…just the grand prize,” she said a little sheepishly as she kept her focus on the wooden rifle, wondering how to aim it.

At her response he arched a brow. “Wouldn’t it be better if I did it?” Fake or no, he could fire anything with considerable accuracy, and he would have the standard three rounds to calibrate if necessary.

“No!” she quickly said before she flushed a bit. “This is something I want to try and do on my own.”

Again he was puzzled, and he tried to discern what she was aiming for with such determination. But by the time they arrived, the owner had started to pull down the prizes, so he had missed whatever had caught her eye. Knowing that an argument would just waste more time, he let her be and watched her…and desperately tried to refrain from making any comments as he stared at her form.

It was terrible. Absolutely terrible. If this were a real gun the kickback would have sent her stumbling backwards. And how high she was holding the toy rifle…she knew two gunmen, had she never noticed how they held their guns!? It was all he could do to not take it away from her right then and there, and he soon wished he had. He cringed after the first shot. A hand rubbed over his eyes and he tapped his foot as the second went wide and missed. When she prepared for the third, his resolve snapped and he stepped up next to her.

“Here,” he said as he positioned himself behind her.

“Wha—Eustace!? What are you doing!?” It was no surprise that Beatrix would be flustered by this sudden development, especially when she felt his warm breath against her ear as he continued to speak in a strangely impatient tone.

“We only have about a two minutes left. You want this or not?”

“E-eh…” How was she supposed to answer that like this!? Even the booth owner was staring at them—wait was that smirk? Battling between frustration and embarrassment, she willed herself to not be swept away by Eustace’s actions. “—All right, fine. But if you make me miss, you owe me.”

There was light snort and she could almost feel the grin by her ear. “Not happening.”

It was the most casual thing she had heard him say, so she could not help but smile a little. A smile that quickly vanished when he went into full instructor mode.

“You’re holding it too high, why are you trying to have it on your shoulder? It should be like this.” Either oblivious or ignoring how flushed she was, Eustace continued his instructions. However, despite the harsh beginning he spoke quietly and did his best to be as gentle as possible. With her back pressed against him, he readjusted her hands and explained everything he was doing; how this helped with the grip and balance, how she should be lining her sight, that even if this was a toy these simple basics will help her.

Although she was embarrassed, she did listen to him and tried to remember what he told her, even starting to wonder if she should try a real gun with him as her coach. That went out the window when he grabbed her hips and pushed against her legs with his own for a more balanced stance.

“W-wai—!” She wanted to turn her head and tell him he needed to warn people when he did something like that, but she could already see his face alongside hers and she froze. Seriously, what was with this situation!? Her heart was ramming against her chest as she tried to keep her breath steady so that he would not notice, but it was getting increasingly difficult.

“Now take the shot.”

“What!?” she finally managed to blurt out. He wanted her to fire it like this? With him still holding onto her!? His hand was still over hers, helping provide steady support so that the rifle would not move when she fired it, the other on her waist to keep her from inadvertently moving.

“I’ve adjusted your aim to improve your chances on hitting the target. All you have to do is pull the trigger.” He was speaking as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, but Beatrix just wanted to punch him for his inability to read the atmosphere.

“ _Argh_ , fine!” she cried before she took a deep breath and fired the shot.

It hit the bullseye.

Only then did Eustace finally release her, the owner quickly retrieving the prize so they could all be on their way. But when he started to congratulate her, he noticed how red the back of her neck and ears were. It was then that he realized how close they had been and how inappropriate his sudden actions were. A strange feeling of awkwardness and sudden awareness descended upon him. At the time he had only been focused on instructing her on how to hold the gun, but now he recalled how much smaller her frame had been against his own. He had to hunch over due to their height difference, yet it had not been wholly uncomfortable.

…Why was he even thinking about this?

As he pressed his fingers against his brows, his thoughts were thankfully broken by the happy, cheerful voice behind him.

“Eustace, look! Isn’t it cute?”

Turning around, his eyes widened at the large stuffed animal embraced in Beatrix’s arms. It was a white, fluffy dog with blue eyes, and she was pressing her face against the back of its head with a sound of delight. Although he did find the plush itself endearing due to his personal preference in dogs, it was not what was taking most of his attention.

“Oooh, it’s so soft, too! C’mon, feel it!”

As if forgetting her earlier embarrassment, or perhaps already healed by the large plush, she stepped up to him with a bright grin and held it up. Eustace stared at her for a long moment before a word escaped him.

“…Cute.”

“Huh?”

Both of them stared at each other in surprise before Eustace hastily looked away, a hand covering his mouth before he muttered, “I meant the toy. It’s…cute.”

“O-Oh,” Beatrix said as she pulled back the giant dog and pressed the lower half of her face against it, hiding the red stained cheeks. “R-Right, of course.”

However, despite his hasty cover-up, Eustace knew full well his comment had not been for the plush, and Beatrix had a strong inkling of the same. It was the third time he thought this of her, only this time she actually heard it. After several more seconds of awkward silence, he cleared his throat and walked forward. “Let’s go.”

Unable to find her voice, Beatrix could only hurry and follow after him.

“Bea! Eustace!” Zeta called out when she finally spotted the two of them hurrying their way and waved them over. “Jeez, I expected this of Bea, but I would have thought you would have made her get here earlier, Eustace,” she joked when they finally joined them.

“Zeta!” Beatrix protested before casting Eustace an awkward glance.

“We got caught up in something,” was his only answer before he glanced around. It was crowded, but the group had gathered on a hillside perfect for watching the bell and subsequent fireworks. Not far below he could see the rest waiting for them, and he took his leave to let the girls catch up.

After staring after Eustace’s retreating back, Zeta turned to look over Beatrix. She was still holding onto the oversized plush dog, her face still half buried in the back of it. Having sensed the strange air between them, a smirk formed on her lips as she leaned towards her.

“So? Was _this_ what made you two almost late?” she teased.

“It’s not what you think!” a muffled voice cried before a flushed face finally revealed itself and rushed forward. “Let’s just go to the others.”

Zeta only gave a low, long hum as she followed behind. Ever since Christmas, she had noticed the change in Beatrix’s demeanor when it came to Eustace. While it was not wrong or _too_ weird for her friend to want and try to have a better relationship with him, it was hard to miss the certain cues or hear the bells that were ringing through her head. The problem, however, was that while she could read Beatrix, Eustace was impossible, infuriatingly so. He had lightened up over the years and was easier to deal with now, but he still kept to himself and it was difficult to know what he was really thinking. Would he even notice? Or would he ignore it if he did?

_Why did you have to pick_ that _guy of all people_ , she sighed a little to herself before the answer immediately came to mind, a wry smile forming. _You just never want to take the easy path, huh, Bea?_ Watching her friend first happily greet the others—and get scolded by Ilsa—before stealing glances over at certain other erune who was speaking with Vaseraga and Gran, she could only shake her head. _I’ll just hope the new year will be kind to you._

Not long after, the traditional ceremonies began. After the bell was struck twelve times, the dark skies illuminated in bright, brilliant explosions of colors. Everyone around her cheered or gasped in awe except for one. Standing just a little in front of her, Beatrix noticed Eustace only quietly smiling as he watched with everyone else, that usual shield he kept up completely gone. He was relaxed, even a little melancholic. But not so relaxed that he did not notice someone’s gaze on him, so when he glanced back at her she flushed a bit in surprise. She then gave him the strangest, most awkward wave before she hastily pointed back up to the sky and made to look back up to the fireworks. He only stared at her for a moment before he turned back, and it was then that she let out a small sigh of relief.

A feeling that was destroyed the moment she felt a familiar elbow jab her side followed by the soft snigger. She just hissed at Zeta and elbowed her back in return before she really did return her focus to the fireworks. But every now and then she could not help but look back at him, wondering how he might react to a certain display or if his expression would ever change, even just a little. But he remained his calm, collected, quiet self, enjoying the fireworks in his own way. In a way it was peaceful.

Afterwards the group split off. Gran, Lyria, Vyrn, and a few others from the ship were heading back while the Society group made their way to the local tavern for a “New Year’s Drink,” or so Zeta suggested. It was rare for all five members and honorary member Cassius to be together like this, so it was a perfect opportunity to celebrate. They went to their usual circular booth and things started normal enough…until the drinks arrived. Perhaps it was due to everyone trying the new drinks being offered, but there was a catastrophic mix-up. After the toast, everyone took a sip of their drinks and immediately realized they had all gotten the wrong orders. Instead of the non-alcoholic beverage, Cassius had taken a sip from the strongest one that was meant for Vaseraga, and he passed out like a light. The rest went as followed: Vaseraga had Ilsa’s, Beatrix had Zeta’s, Ilsa had Eustace’s, Zeta had Cassius’s, and Eustace had Beatrix’s. Each had varying degrees of strength and unlike Cassius they could handle it, but they still had their preferences.

No one really minded the fact that they had taken a drink out of each other’s glass—except for Beatrix, who hesitated when Eustace handed over hers. But when she felt Zeta’s piercing gaze, she took and downed it all in one go, surprising everyone.

“Wait, Bea—!”

“Dammit, Hellcat, you know you can’t drink that much so fast!”

“…Already a new year and we’re off to an interesting start, eh, Eustace?”

“……”

Eustace just closed his eyes and drank quietly, ignoring the noise that fell over their table. But despite the ruckus, he could only watch in mild amusement as Beatrix tried to reassure them that she was completely _fine_ and that it would take more than one glass to get drunk. As if to prove her point, she immediately ordered another despite Ilsa shouting at her. It was loud, noisy, and nothing like the peace and quiet he usually desired. But being surrounded by people he had grown to care for, a little bit of chaos was not so bad every once in a while.

With Cassius knocked out, Vaseraga and Eustace moved out of their side of the booth and pulled up two chairs, Eustace moving his cloak to hang off the back of his to let the moon native lie in their places while Ilsa sat on the outside. The group chatted and even played a few drinking games to pass the time. Of course Zeta and Beatrix mostly competed with each other, and it was no surprise that they were the first to get drunk despite Ilsa’s attempts to stop them. It was in this state that Zeta came up with the fiendish idea to draw on Cassius’s face, an idea that Beatrix wholeheartedly agreed to. By then Ilsa had given up and had enough alcohol to loosen up and not care, telling them they would have to deal with whatever repercussions on their own. The three older members continued to chat amongst themselves while the girls giggled about as they proceeded to discuss what they should draw on the poor moon man’s face before starting. But Ilsa eventually had to stop them when Zeta boldly suggested they also draw on his exposed chest.

“Vaseraga, you might have to take him away,” she sighed as she rubbed her brow while Zeta whined behind her.

“Aw, c’mon, Sarge, it was just a joke, a joke! Besides it’s not like— _hurk_ —” Zeta immediately covered her mouth, her face a little pale. “Crap, I think I drank too much…”

Ilsa now massaged her temples before she stood up. “All right, Pupper, drink this water and I’ll take you to the bathroom. If you’re going to make a mess, better do it there.”

“I’ll go ahead and bring back Cassius,” Vaseraga said as he pushed back his chair, the wood scraping against the floor as he stood. “Looks like it might be the end for the night, anyway. I’ll come back to help if you need it.”

“Mm,” Eustace nodded. “I’ll stay and watch Beatrix.” As he spoke, he looked over to see that the brunette was slowly listing to one side and frowned before she turned to hug the giant dog plush, giggling as she rubbed her cheeks against its face and ears. He could hear her muttering how “soft” it was and how she loved to pet it.

Seeing this as she helped Zeta up, Ilsa sighed. “We’ll try not to be long.”

With Eustace’s help, Vaseraga lifted up Cassius over his shoulder and after wishing everyone a happy new year, he carried him back to the inn where they were all staying for the night. Ilsa then patted Zeta’s back as she guided her to the bathroom. With most of the noise now gone and only the din of the patrons as background ambiance, it was strangely quiet at the table. After some thought, Eustace picked up his glass and moved into the booth to sit near Beatrix, mostly to make sure she did not suddenly fall over the other side or worse—hit her head on the table. With that in mind, he started to clear it, pushing the glasses and napkins further inward when he heard her giggling.

“Mmmm so sooooooft… I wonder if they’re as soft as yours, Yussie…”

His hand frozen in mid-air, Eustace slowly turned his head to stare at her. Did she…just call that dog _Yussie_? What kind of name…no, why did it sound oddly like his? It was a joke right, this was just her usual nonsensible drunk talk, wasn’t it?

“But he never lets me peeeet theeeeeem,” she continued to whine, completely oblivious that he was next to her. “It’s not faaaair!! He let’s Gran, but why not me???”

Now certain that she was talking about him, Eustace just sighed. “You never asked.”

“Well how can I when you always have that scary look on your face!!” she suddenly shouted and turned to him. It was so sudden that it actually made him jump, and he was glad that he already moved all the glasses away. “But fine, if I have to ask, can I pet your ears? Pretty pretty pretty pleeeeease?”

His expression remained unchanged as he stared at her. “Forget it. You’re drunk.”

“What’s with that!? You said I just had to ask!” Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes before she suddenly grabbed onto the front of his shirt. “Why are you always so mean to meeeee!?”

Although he had dealt with Beatrix when she was drunk before, _this_ was new. Usually she whined about other people or some random problem. The only time he was ever involved in her drunken ravings was if they had been on a mission and he had to be hard on her. Was she referring to that, then? Regardless, he knew it was pointless to try and talk, so he just frowned and tried to pull away, ignoring her.

Unfortunately, this only made things worse.

“See, that’s it, that’s what you always do!” she started to sob, her grip on him only tightening. “You never say anything and just ignore me!! It’s not fair!!”

“Beatrix.”

“I just! Want! To touch! Your ears!!” With that she suddenly lunged forward, her hand pushing against his chest as the other reached up for his ears.

Taken completely by surprise by this sudden action, Eustace was pushed fully back onto the seat and he found himself staring up into Beatrix’s flushed face, her hand just above his head. Perhaps if this were another time he would feel more uncomfortable about this, but right now he just felt pure annoyance. With narrowed eyes, he spoke in a low voice.

“Do you really want to touch them that badly?”

Although drunk, she was somewhat aware of how they were and gave a sheepish nod. “M…mhm…”

Sighing he briefly closed his eyes before looking back up at her. “Then get up. If you quit messing around I’ll let you touch them.”

There was a strange brightness in her eyes as she smiled. “Really??”

“Yes. Now get up.”

With a delighted squeal, she hastily sat back and waited impatiently for Eustace to sit up before she immediately reached up to first tentatively brush her fingers against the tips of his ears. With a soft voice of awe, she cooed at how soft like velvet they felt before she started to more firmly press and rub her fingers against his ears.

“They’re so soft…the real thing is definitely so much better…oooh I wish I had ears like yours…”

“…Are they really that fascinating?” He had actually intended to move away before she could actually reach his ears, but she had jumped faster than he expected. Not having near enough to drink to deal with more of her relentless whining, he just sighed. Resigning to this strange fate, he decided he would just humor her with idle responses. In the meantime, he leaned back against the back of the seat and tilted his head a little towards her so she could continue. She was at least being gentle with it, similar to how she treated his hair, so he had no complaints just yet.

“Well, duh! They’re different from human ears… Ours are boring, but erunes are so cool. Draphs, too, and Harvins can be cute, but I like yours best.”

“…Hm.” Unsure of what to make of that answer, Eustace glanced at her own ears. He never thought anything of them—anyone’s, really—but now that she pointed it out, he slowly reached up to press his forefinger and thumb against the soft lobe of her ear. It was strangely soft, and he could not help but gently finger it before pulling a little.

Normally she would be surprised and yell at him, but instead she just giggled. “Hee, trying to pet my ears now?”

Hearing that, he immediately stopped and stared at his hand, wondering if maybe he did have more to drink than he thought. Knowing that it was unlikely, he still used it as an excuse as he retracted his hand and cleared his throat, turning away from her with a disgruntled look. But his reprieve was broken when her arms suddenly slipped around his neck and she started to rub her face against his.

“What are you—!?” Wide-eyed and stiffening in shock, he was about to shove her away from him when she started to whine and press closer against him.

“ _Yuusssiiie_ don’t be shhhyyy!”

“Who the hell are you calling Yussie?” he spat as he tried to pry her off, grabbing her arms to try and pull her away. It only resulted in her moving across his lap, and she quickly wrested her arms free and shimmied up so that she was fully seated across his legs, her arms once again around his neck as she pressed her face against his chest. At this point, Eustace’s arms were extended outward, frozen in mid-air.

What the hell just happened.

What the hell was _happening_.

“Where did all your soft fluff go?” Beatrix continued to drunkenly whine, tilting her head up to pout up at him. “You’re so hard and stiff like Eustace.” As if to prove her point, she tapped at the center of his chest. “Nnngh, you know he can be such a meanie bully head? He really needs to relax more. Aaah, but his hair and his ears are so sooooft I could pet them all day!” She giggled as she reached up to once again pet Eustace’s ears, although her movements made it seem as if she was fondling them instead. “Yes, yes, just like this! Fufu, he let me touch them you know? _But it’s our little secret!_ ”

As Eustace was forced to listen and endure, he continued to wonder what he did to deserve this. He had seen Beatrix do many foolish things, but this was the worst yet. It was so ridiculous, he wondered if he should tell her tomorrow when she sobered up or save it for when she deserved it. Gritting his teeth, he looked down at her to see her smiling with such a goofy wide smile that it irritated him enough to reach up and hook his index finger into the corner of her mouth and pull it.

“How can you be so drunk that you can’t even realize you’re clinging onto a real person?” he grumbled as he tugged her mouth even wider as if in retaliation to her own antics.

“ _Gyegh—!_ Yuuggsshiiie!!”

“Like I said, who are you calling Yussie?” His patience already in the deep negative, he suddenly leaned his face in close to hers, his steel blue eyes frosting over to an icy glare. Perhaps it was enough to pierce through her drunken stupor, for when her eyes met his she suddenly stilled, and her face flushed deeper than it already was.

“…Eh? Eustace…?” The distance between them was so small, he could clearly smell and almost taste the strong, fruity alcohol on her breath. Exactly two seconds of chilled silence passed before her face loosened and Beatrix reached up to lightly pat his cheek. “There, there,” she giggled. “You don’t need to be jealous!”

His silence continued before he released a small sigh, his hand reaching up to pull hers away from his face. But before he could say or do anything more, she continued speaking, her voice slurred and drawn out as she teased him by slipping her hand away to pat his head like she would a child.

“If you want me to pet your head, I can do it anytime, see?” She continued to ignore that hardening glare he was giving her when she blinked and gasped. “Ah!! I forgot to sing you happy birthday!”

“…What?”

“Hap-py Birth-day!” she sang, her voice completely off pitch. “It’s a few hours late, but it’s fine right? _Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you_ —”

As her voice rose higher and louder with each word, Eustace pressed his hand against her mouth and hissed in a low voice, “ _Quiet._ ”

She just laughed against his palm. “Someone’s embaaarraasssed!”

“Look who’s talking,” he muttered before he pulled his hand away, the feel of her lips brushing against his skin oddly ticklish. He was about to sit back when her hands once again reached up and grabbed both sides of his face, locking him in place and forcing him to stare down at her with some flustered, impatient annoyance. But instead of more ridiculous drunk shouts or other nonsense, her voice softened to slurred murmurs as she smiled softly up at him.

“Mmm, but you had fun right? You’re really a nice guy, Eustace… If only you’d loosen up more… So soft and warm… Was really happy…”

It was difficult for him to understand what she was muttering about, but as her voice drifted and her eyes started to close, he realized she was falling asleep—on him.

“…Hey, Beatrix,” he said roughly with a small shake. His only answer was the soft, deep breaths as her head lolled to the side to rest against his shoulder, the weight of her body slumping against him as she cuddled closer. When another small shake and call of her name resulted in silence, he stared at her at little perplexed before he ran a hand over his brow and through his hair.

Slowly he tried to lean her back the other way so he could make her lay on the seat, but her arms automatically moved to wrap around him, hugging him close and pulling him down towards her. She even whined in protest in her sleep. He somehow managed to stop himself from collapsing on top of her and he could only stare down for several long seconds before he closed his eyes and let out a small sigh of resignation.

“If you were anyone else you would be on the floor by now,” he muttered low near her ear as he pinched her cheek. It netted him another small whine and a frown, but she still remained asleep. Having said that, however, he frowned a little to himself as he watched her. Normally it would be _because_ it was her that he would just drop her, or at the very least not have allowed her to get this far with her antics. Yet here he was, adjusting his weight and arms so that he was not completely on top of her. Of course he would rather try to extricate himself from her hold entirely, but who knew she had such a strong grip?

As he tried one last attempt, he thought he would be able to slip his head out from underneath. Her arms seemed to loosen, but instead of pulling away, one hand pressed against the back of his head and pulled him down with so much force, he only barely managed to miss colliding his face against hers. If he was not careful, a small turn of his head would have him kissing the nape of her neck, something that he was suddenly very acutely aware of. As his body stiffened, he tried to focus on the issue at hand and how he was going to get out of this. Should he just not bother anymore and push away from her?

However, the longer he lingered, the more he found his eyes tracing over the curves and lines of her face. He had seen her face up close many times before, but there was something different about the light, tint of red of her flushed cheeks and how innocent yet silly her sleeping expression held. And when she suddenly giggled in her sleep and murmured “Yussie’s” name again, he felt a strange ripple of agitation. He had long figured out she was referring to the giant, plush dog that was sitting in the corner of the booth staring at them, but for some reason it was annoying to keep hearing its name when she was talking to him. Just as he leaned in closer as if to voice his displeasure, he heard a sudden step by the table and glanced over to see two women staring at him.

Perhaps the drinks were stronger than he thought.

“Do I really need to explain?”

“Normally I would say no, but I’m having second doubts.”

Eustace was still trapped leaning over Beatrix, but he had placed a bit more distance between them so as not to look as suspicious before. Ilsa clearly thought otherwise, a heavy set frown as her red eyes simmered, as if judging him.

“I wouldn’t mind hearing it,” Zeta laughed as she slid from the other side of the booth to poke the sleeping swordswoman. It only made Beatrix tighten her grip on Eustace, her face pressing against his bare arm that was propping him up. It left the blond stunned before she laughed a little too loudly and ignored the glares she was receiving. “Oooh my God, she really is clinging onto you! This is hilarious!”

“Are you sober enough to take her back?” he tersely responded, first glancing at Zeta before staring heavily at Ilsa.

“If you can pry her off,” she said with an arched brow. “You know how she gets when she clings onto someone.”

“Yep, you’re stuck, Eustace,” Zeta continued to laugh. “Last time I dragged her back, I ended up sleeping with her.”

“That’s not happening,” both erunes suddenly answered, each with a heavy, cold voice.

Zeta, however, could only laugh at their hardened expressions. She might have sobered a bit, but she was still quite drunk. “I’m just saying!”

“In _any_ case,” Ilsa sighed as she stared at Eustace. “We’ll all head back to the inn together and you can carry her. Maybe she’ll wake up by the time we get there.

Zeta just snorted as she picked up her unfinished glass. “Not happening.”

“That’s enough for you,” Ilsa hissed as she snatched the glass before Zeta could finish it off. Ignoring the blond’s protest, she looked back over at Eustace. “Any objections?”

“There’s not really much of a choice.” With Beatrix not giving an inch, there was nothing he could do. Even if he tried to push her away, she just tightened her hold and clung to him like a cat. “Move the table—I’ll need more room to pick her up like this.” Once Zeta and Ilsa had moved the table back enough, he disentangled himself and rolled off until he was kneeling on the floor. Feeling as if his neck was caught in some kind of noose, he slipped his arms underneath her prone body and with a light grunt stood up, picking her up in the process.

“A princess carry, huh?” Zeta whistled. “How dashing. Too bad Bea’s missing out.”

“I’d prefer if she were on my back, but it was already an effort to get this far,” he sighed, a dull throb at the back of his brow.

“We would be wasting more time to try and pry her off, so you’ll just have to deal with it,” Ilsa said, looking at them for a moment before she picked up Eustace’s cloak from the back of his chair and draped it over Beatrix. She exchanged one last look with him before she turned to Zeta. “Got everything, Pupper?”

“Yes, boss,” she drawled as she held up her and Beatrix’s bags, including half the ones filled with various prizes.

“Then let’s head out before something else happens.” Her commanding aura was only slightly marred by the large dog plush carried under her arm.

After leaving payment (and a little extra), the three filed out of the tavern and made their way to the inn they had booked. Eustace idly listened to the two women walking in front of him, mostly Ilsa scolding Zeta or Zeta saying some offhanded remark. Occasionally the blond would turn back to look at him with a strange, mischievous glint in her eye, but he could not even begin to try and figure out what she was thinking.

Eventually Vaseraga met up with them on his way back from dropping Cassius off to sleep in the room. Immediately Zeta rushed him as if trying to pick a fight, and he just picked her up by the waist and slung her over his shoulder. As Zeta punched and Ilsa berated, Eustace watched from behind with some wry amusement before he offered his own quip on Zeta’s childish behavior. With Beatrix still sleeping soundly in his arms, the four continued before Zeta managed to wriggle out and jump down. After kicking Vaseraga in the back of the knee, she booked it.

With Ilsa yelling, the two ran after her, leaving Eustace to stand there a little dumbstruck by what just transpired. Yet rather than feel irritated by these bizarre developments, he could only smile a little and chuckle to himself. He was glad he had accepted the invitation and stayed.

When he resumed walking, with no other noise to distract him, his ears picked up the soft, steady breathing beneath him as Beatrix continued to sleep with her head against his shoulder, completely oblivious of her surroundings. Occasionally he would feel her twitch or move, her head sometimes listing forward to be closer to his exposed neckline. It felt strangely warm, those soft breaths sometimes tickling his skin. He tried not to mind it, but like before he would occasionally feel a little more aware of her body held against his – how she was not heavy at all, how easily she fit in his arms, and how soft and warm her smaller frame felt. And when his gaze drifted down to her sleeping face, how completely relaxed and trusting she seemed. It was almost innocent, sweet even, and when the lights and shadows cast down the lines of her face a certain way, he caught himself tracing them with his eyes like he had earlier. It was almost as if he was finding her…

Immediately he stiffened and looked back forward. Again he wondered if he had more drinks than he thought, he tried to shake off the line of thoughts as he focused on walking through the streets. Fortunately there were not many people, so he did not have to worry about any crowds and could easily sidestep anyone in the way if they did not move first. Just as he had managed to push those earlier thoughts aside, his steps faltered when he felt her lips brush against the base of his neck as she murmured against it.

“Mm…Eustace…?”

Trying to push down the strange sensation spurred on by her breath tickling his skin in a different way than before, he turned his face slightly to glance down at her. She had shifted her face to look up, her eyes half-lidded, and while she might be slightly aware, he could only assume she was more asleep than awake. Even so, he quietly answered her. “What?”

She softly hummed her face shifting slightly but her mouth still close to his neck. “Is this a dream…?”

He contemplated for a moment before he again quietly answered. “Yes, you’re dreaming.”

“Ah…figures,” she sighed before she buried her face against his chest. “You would never do something like this…”

At her words he frowned a little. How badly did she really think of him?

“But you smell nice…I really like it… It’s strong…but gentle…just like you…”

“…What nonsense are you talking about now?”

“Hehe, yeah…you would say that.” She laughed softly as she closed her eyes, taking in deep breaths. It was a dream, but it was such a nice one. To feel the strength of his arms carrying her, his pace slow and steady that his gait was gentle, as if trying to rock her back to sleep. “I’m really glad you could come tonight…it was really fun… I hope we can do it again sometime…”

Her words faded once more, and Eustace could hear the soft, even breaths as she fell back asleep. He stole a glance back at her before his gaze slowly returned forward, and under his breath he murmured quietly to himself with a soft smile.

“Me, too.”

The rest of the night ended as chaotic as it began. With Vaseraga’s help, they somehow managed to pry Beatrix off Eustace, but when she started to reach for the draph, Eustace roughly pulled at her collar and forced her down into her bed. Although Beatrix was sharing the room with Zeta, Ilsa decided to stay with them to make sure nothing else happened that night.

“I’ll get the medicine,” Vaseraga offered as he headed out the room.

“And I’ll get your things,” Eustace offered. “The usual bag, right?”

Ilsa flashed him a wane but appreciative smile before pulling out her key to him. “Yes, thanks.”

He gave her a light smile in return, and before he left he glanced back at the sleeping brunette curled in bed. They had shoved the dog plush into her arms before she could try to grab anyone else, and she was holding onto it as tightly as she did to him. Meeting its eyes, he could only give his small sympathies.

As for the following morning, Eustace only slept in a little later than usual, but he was still up before everyone else. With it still the holiday, he took the opportunity to sit at the inn’s small café, taking a small corner table off to the side by the window so that he could drink his coffee and eat his breakfast in peace. As he ate, he took occasional glances outside to watch the people bustle about their day. Many were still in a celebratory mood, with small cheers for the new years called down the streets and through windows every now and then. The corner of his mouth lifted a bit before he heard slow, trudging, heavy footsteps approaching and was surprised to see the body slump into the empty chair across from him and lay their head down with a resounding _thunk_.

“You’re awake?”

“Barely,” the voice grumbled before it lifted up to reveal the haggard face of Beatrix, dark circles under her eyes. “Can you believe the Sergeant? Forcing us awake like this?? It’s cruel, dammit!” With that last protesting whine, she pressed her face against the cool table and closed her eyes with a sigh.

“Zeta, too?” he asked as he slowly sipped his coffee, noting her appearance. Her hair still looked a little wet in some places, her attire more casual and simpler than usual. If he had to guess, she was forced to take a bath to “sober up” before made to eat something. Concluding this, he glanced over at the nearest waitress and gestured to Beatrix. Given the number of patrons in the same condition, she flashed a knowing smile and nod before heading off to get an order out.

Oblivious to what just transpired, Beatrix answered, “She still needs some more time. Think she had it worse than me.”

There was a soft snort as Eustace recalled the events of that night. “In a few ways. But you weren’t any better before you fell asleep.”

With her face still down, she could hide the deep reddening of her cheeks, but her voice came out more like a trembling squeak as she asked, “Wh…what do you mean?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Of course not! I wouldn’t be asking if I did!” She kept her face hidden as the waves of embarrassment continued to roil through her chest, making it feel tight as her imagination went wild. “Ilsa only told me that…that you carried me back.”

“…Hm.” Eustace remained quiet for a long while, taking a few occasional sips of his coffee.

It lasted long enough for the waitress to put down a banana oatmeal porridge with a side of scrambled eggs, fruit, and juice in front of Beatrix. Seeing the spread before her, she knew she should feel thankful, but the growing silence was agonizing. Was he trying to be nice or punish her!? Did she do something so bad that he had to wait to make sure no one was around!? As her fears continued to mount, he finally put down his cup and sat back against his chair.

“Who’s ‘Yussie’?”

She stiffened when she heard the name and her lips trembled as she tried to push back the anxiety quickly rising up. “Y-Yussie? Haha, that’s—that’s a cute name, where did you hear that?”

“You.” As he spoke, his eyes never left hers, making her feel like a mouse trapped under a snake’s stare. “While clinging onto me, you kept referring to me or someone else as ‘Yussie.’” Even though he knew, he wanted to see how she would answer.

“C…Clinging—!?”

“Around my neck. You even crawled onto my lap while hugging me and I was forced to carry you in my arms.”

“That—no way!! That’s impossible!!”

As she covered her bright red face with her hands, he only stared at her with his usual calmness before he continued. “This isn’t the first time. You know you have a problem clinging onto people when drunk, but it had never been this bad before.” He thought about it before, but saying it aloud now, he could not help but frown a bit as he thought of the possibility of her grabbing onto a stranger.

He really needed to put a leash on her drinking habits.

“So?”

“What!?”

“Is that what you named that dog?”

“Are you really focused on that right now!?” she cried, her cheeks burning so hot they could melt.

“I just thought it strange how it sounded a lot like my—”

“ _Aarrggghh!!_ ” With a loud shout and slamming her hand against the table, she stood up with so much force she knocked back her chair, the sound of it clattering against the floor echoing through the now silent café. “ _It’s no one, nothing, you hear me!? His name is Snowball so just forget about everything!!!_ ”

With that she ran off towards the entrance…before she suddenly turned around and returned to the table. Swiping the food that had been served earlier, she then quickly but carefully once more retreated to her room. Eustace watched all of this with his usual reserved, quiet silence before he raised a hand to his mouth to hide the small grin that broke through.

It was around this time that Ilsa appeared, her head still turned back to stare in confusion towards Beatrix’s back. Wondering what happened, she looked over to where Eustace sat alone at the table with an unusually bright gleam in his eye.

Connecting the dots, she slowly approached him. “I see you managed to rile her up like usual,” she sighed as she picked up the chair that had fallen to the floor and sat in it, one leg crossing over the other as she leaned an arm against the table before ordering a cup of coffee. “Starting to think this is your way of having fun.”

“She might think twice about getting that drunk again,” he answered with a glance before he pushed his unfinished plate of fruit towards her. The smile had disappeared, but there was still a hint of amusement in his face and voice.

Ilsa studied him for a moment before she reached out to take the untouched pear slices. After chewing on one, she finally voiced the thoughts that had been on her mind since the night before. “Is there anything going on between you two?”

Not expecting the question, he looked at her more directly. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Hellcat. Even without what happened at the bar, not even a blind person wouldn’t notice the change between you two.”

“…What change?”

Looking at his guarded expression, Ilsa could not help but let out of a soft laugh. “You’re smart, Eustace. You’ve noticed how she’s been pushing to get closer to you. She even came to me for advice on how to handle your birthday.”

“…She did mention something about you not letting use your kitchen.” He had thought nothing of it at the time but considering that Ilsa still managed to invoke the fear of the gods into her, perhaps Beatrix approaching her former drill sergeant was a sign of how hard she really did try back then. It would also explain how she chose the cake—Ilsa knew his preferences.

After studying his troubled frown, she let out a small sigh. “Eustace, I don’t really care about what happens in anyone’s personal life. But I have to warn you to be careful.”

Normally he did not mind Ilsa giving him advice or sharing her opinions with him, but for some reason he felt a little irked. So his words came out a little colder than intended.

“About what?”

Although she had no intention in starting an argument, her eyes narrowed as she lowered her voice. “You know the current situation we’re in. This isn’t the time for either of you to start throwing puppy eyes at each other.”

“You’re delusional—that isn’t happening.”

“Eustace, I’ve known you for years. You’ve closed yourself up for so long you don’t realize when you’ve let your guard down or when others are trying to reach through it.” There was a small flicker in her eyes, one that Eustace caught and made him clench his teeth and unwittingly glance away. An uneasy silence formed between them before she spoke again, her voice quieter. “To be honest I think this would be good for you—but I don’t know if either of you are ready or if we can even afford it.”

He rubbed his brows and sighed. “…Ilsa—”

“You know they’re watching us, more than usual,” she continued, her voice and countenance once more taking on a more serious air. “I want to believe you can keep a level head, but I know even you can lose it if pushed too hard. I don’t even have to talk about Hellcat, you know how she is. She’s already without Embrasque, we don’t need her to look even more vulnerable if she starts acting like a lovesick puppy and with you on top of it.”

There was a flash of anger in his eyes as he looked at her. “I told you, that isn’t happening. I’m well aware of our situation and there is nothing between us.”

“You’re one of the most perceptive members of the group, but you’re completely dense when it comes to yourself,” she only sighed in slight aggravation before she locked her eyes with his. “Look, I’m not trying to get in the way of whatever _is_ happening between you two. Maybe she’ll actually listen more if she wants to get on your good side and you could stand to loosen up and let up some more. I just don’t want to deal with a mess if things fall out, so whatever you decide, don’t half ass it and be prepared for the consequences.”

He just stared at her, an icy chill forming around him. In a way he understood where Ilsa was coming from, but it was based on something he believed did not exist to begin with. How many times did he have to deny that nothing of the sort was forming between him and Beatrix? Sure, they had gotten closer over the last few days, but it was just friendliness. It was not as if he was _attracted_ to her—

When the thought came to mind, a sense of uneasiness suddenly rippled through him. If he really had to think about it, he was not sure he could fully deny that there was no attraction between them. Especially when the thought _had_ passed through his mind more than once last night. Whether it was just a passing, incidental feeling or something more, he did not know, but the fact that he had to question it was meaningful in itself. The way he viewed Beatrix had started to change.

Slowly the frost receded, and he let out a small sigh. “You’re overthinking it. I only see her as a partner and colleague, barely different than the rest of you.”

“Do you really think that?” Ilsa asked, clearly not convinced as she noted the subtle changes in his demeanor.

He sat in silence, his gaze now outside the window where people continued about their lives in festive cheer, a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere that had fallen over the two Society members.

“It’s as you said—this is how it has to be.”

Once things within the Society started to unravel, they all knew the dangers and risks involved had risen. Out of all of them, Eustace knew where their priorities laid—he had just momentarily forgotten these past few days. They were good days to be sure, ones that he will look back on with a new sense of fondness. He still did not believe things between him and Beatrix were as deep as Ilsa implied, but he could not deny that she was right about one thing—he had changed and allowed their relationship to deepen more than it had before. Allowed her to come closer and relax around her, discovered a sense of comfort he never noticed before. And he had grown more conscious and aware of her.

Being friendly, shortening the distance, acknowledging her presence, that all was fine.

He would just have to make sure it did not go any further.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ungh. This one took a while as it was the most difficult to write for some reason and I’m not sure I’m fully happy with it. Rewrote portions like fifty times. But this is the final installment of the prequels and sets up a little more of where they stand in terms of their feelings towards each other as well as the final references in _Bittersweet Tastes_. 
> 
> I feel like I should go back to the main story and edit it a bit to reflect more of what was written in these, but eh. I’ll be heading back to it anyway to finally get to the extras as well as onto the next story in the series. A bit behind, but there’s definitely still a few more to come!
> 
> And yes, I totally made up the whole “Yussie” nickname (pronounced YOU-see). Will Bea ever call him that when not drunk? Probably not lmao.


End file.
